Wilson sat huddled in a small chair beside the computer station. That most ancient and proficient of all tools, a pencil, stuck out from the big fingers of one hand, and a sheet of hard tablet rested in the other. Catching Tedric’s wandering gaze, Wilson nodded. ‘I’m finished,’ he said.
‘What did you find?’ Tedric asked.
’Exactly what I expected to find. I’ve double-checked every figure. The computer’s right. We can jump.’
‘Juvi?’ said Tedric, turning slightly.
She sat close to Wilson. Tedric had given her the same task, checking the computer’s figures. She glanced up from her tablet and shook her head. ‘I’ll need another few minutes. I’m not a robot. This isn’t easy for me.’
Tedric nodded, almost grateful for the additional delay. Everyone was present in the cockpit. Yod Cartwright stood near one wall, his gaze vague and dreamy, while Pal Galmain stood near another, his face remote and morose. Even Matthew Carey was here, released from his confinement. Carey occupied a chair close to the radio. Ky-shan stood over him, the giant blue-furred Wykzl serving as a guard.
Wilson, obviously impatient, drummed with his pencil. Tedric ignored the gesture. He was well aware of the true facts, that space was a vast empty waste and, even jumping blind, the chances of materialising inside any substantial object were slim. His reluctance to act was motivated by something more than mere timidity. It was a feeling he had.
Such feelings were nothing new. Ever since Skandos had first brought him to this universe, Tedric had experienced certain similarly restless moments of doubt. Skandos had long ago assured him that these feelings were indeed real and not the result of Scientists’ tampering. Tedric still did not fully understand what the feelings meant. It wasn’t so much that he was seeing the future but rather that he felt as though the present was something he had experienced before and that, as a result, he really ought to know what was coming next. But he never did. The future was as much a blank to him as to anyone. But he was worried. Something was wrong - something somewhere. He just didn’t know what.
Juvi’s voice broke into his thoughts. ’Tedric,’ she said, laying her tablet aside, ‘I’m done. My figures check, too.’
He nodded. ‘All right.’ A decision had been made. No matter how he felt, it was time to act. ‘We’re going to jump. Stations, everyone.’
Tedric moved over and sat in front of the ship’s controls. He placed one hand on the wheel and the other on the throttle, oddly antique terms for devices that bore little resemblance to their original namesakes except in basic function. Juvi remained at the computer, while Wilson went over and sat close to the radio. Pal Galmain swept .briskly across the room until he stood directly beneath the view-screen. Carey and Ky-shan remained as they were.
‘Be ready,’ Tedric told Juvi, who would be the one to, actually order the computer to launch the jump. ‘I’m going to place us into freefall now.’
‘Aye, aye, sir,’ she said, reverting to the old terminology as the moment drew near.
Tedric touched the controls. In order to jump from one realm of space to another, it was necessary to place the ship totally at rest in relation to its original domain. To fail to do so would build up kinetic energy which, when released by the jump, could result in a massive explosion.
‘How are we doing?’ Tedric asked Juvi.
’Fine,’ she said. ’The computer says we’re aligned. Any. time you’re ready, we are.’
‘I’m ready,’ said Tedric. ‘I’m going to count down now. Twenty…nineteen…eighteen…’
Still, even as he counted the final seconds before the jump, Tedric’s restless feeling persisted. He tried in vain to make sense of it. What might possibly be wrong? His eyes wandered through the cockpit, then stopped suddenly. Carey? he wondered. The man had said next to nothing since his release and now sat slack-jawed and blank faced. But who was he really? Watching Carey, Tedric’s feeling grew stronger and stronger. Was this the same Matthew Carey whom Tedric had known so long or was it actually someone else, an imposter who…?
His own voice interrupted his thoughts. ’Three…two…one…zero.’
Juvi moved on signal, hitting the button. The ship jumped. The operation was instantaneous. In spite of the distortions of various tridee serials, there was no loud thundering boom; the ship didn’t quake or bounce or shiver. Tedric looked at the viewscreen. The huge ball of a planet floated in front of his eyes.
’Tavera,’ said Pal Galmain softly.
Tedric examined the planet. It was the same as the image
Skandos had shown him. Tavera proved to be an ugly, brown, pockmarked world. But Pal Gaimain at least seemed genuinely moved by the sight. It was impossible not to sense the emotion he felt.
‘Wilson,’ said Tedric, turning in his seat, ‘see if you can contact anyone. If you do, let Pal Gaimain do the talking.’
‘I will.’ Wilson reached for the radio and, as he did, it finally happened. Tedric understood the exact meaning of his feeling. It was Carey, all right. Carey - and yet not Carey. It was Fra Villion. In a Sash of enlightenment, Tedric understood who Fra Villion really, was and what he presently intended. Tedric jumped from his seat with a yell and sprang across the room.
He was an instant too late. Carey’s hand, moving with Sudden speed, reached out and jerked the heatgun from the unsuspecting Ky-shan’s holster. Thrusting past Wilson, Carey shoved the barrel against the radio console and fired one harsh bolt. A cloud of smoke erupted into the air and sparks flew crazily. An instant later, Tedric hit Carey and sent him crashing to the floor. The heatgun skidded across the room. Tedric swung his arm and cracked Carey firmly on the jaw. Carey’s head snapped back and his eyes folded shut.
‘By the Lords of the Universe,’ cried Wilson, standing in front of the radio, ‘what did he do that for?’
‘I doubt that he had much say in the matter,’ Tedric said, climbing wearily to his feet.
‘But why destroy the radio of all things?’
‘I doubt if that was all he intended. In another few seconds he could have swung the heatgun around, destroyed the controls, and killed half of us before anyone reached him.’
‘He must have lost his mind.’
Tedric shook his head slowly. ‘No, I’m afraid it was more than that.’
’Tedric is correct.’ Pal Galmain’s voice boomed loudly. ’The fault is as much mine as anyone’s. Poor Carey has been monitored by Fra Villion. He has been a spy in our midst since he first arrived. The man should have been killed in the beginning.’
Tedric wasn’t about to argue the merits of killing Carey at this late moment. He was still reeling in shock from the suddenness of the flash of insight that had allowed him to prevent Carey from inflicting additional damage on the ship and crew.
‘Company,’ said Juvi softly. Unlike the rest of them, she had remained dutifully at her station. ’Eight…nine… ten ships. They’re coming towards us.’
’There’s Fra Villion now,’ Pal Galmain said bitterly.
‘And we’ve got no way of calling him off,’ said Wilson, indicating the broken radio.
‘And no forceshield to protect us,’ Galmain added. ‘And no gun turrets to fight back.’ He laughed suddenly and rocked on his feet. ’Fra Villion has beaten us already. I was vain to believe it could ever be otherwise.’
But Tedric wasn’t quite so eager to surrender hope. ‘Man your stations,’ he told his crew. ‘When they kill us, we’ll be dead, but until then I intend to keep fighting. Juvi, get ready to soft-talk a crazy computer. I intend reaching Taven whether it’s in one piece or twenty pieces or half a…’
A loud explosion drowned out the rest of his words. Tht little ship trembled like a twig in the wind. Tedric staggered across the floor and fell into the control chair. He gripped the wheel and took hold of the throttle. Swallowing cwie deep soothing breath of air after another, Tedric fought to clear his mind. For what now lay ahead, he needed to be absolutely calm.
On the screen in f
ront of him, he could see the tiny yellow blips of the advancing vemplar ships. Even as he observed their approach, his hands were moving. He jerked tht throttle and twisted the wheel; he eased up on the throttle and spun the wheel in the opposite direction. He attempted to let instinct alone guide his actions. There wasn’t time foi thinking and pondering, evaluating and considering. Besides, if he could determine the one logical course tc pursue, then so could the enemy ships - and their computers.
Logic was a path that could be followed by others, while illogic was an endless maze. In order to survive, Tedric must enter the maze.
‘Juvi,’ he said, ‘inform the computer that we’re going to land on the surface of Tavera. Tell it, no matter what happens in the interim, that’s the goal we intend to reach.’
‘I’ll try,’ she said, with a flash of a smile.
’The rest of you, strap down. Ky-$han, take care of Carey. If he wakes up, knock him out again. This ride’s apt to be a rough one but I’d rather be bumped around than burned up.’
By now, the nearest of the enemy ships was close enough to open fire. Tedric’s hands danced as he evaded the initial heatray bolts. Tractor beams swept out and he darted between them. The other enemy ships closed in and he tried to cut a path through and around them. It was illogic again - the endless maze - but it was working. The ship bobbed and weaved like a boxer intent upon tiring an opponent. Heatrays and tractor beams continued to assault the ship. Tedric could feel those blasts that came close and sense those that did not. He was reminded of the feeling he had had about Carey. Like then, he seemed to be standing above and apart from his own body, observing the universe through a more distant and accurate lens.
As the ship darted through the enemy formation, Tedric’s hands were never at rest. Instinct and impulse assumed full command of his actions. Twice the ship shook from near misses. Once, Tedric could actually see the bright yellow glow through the porthole above his head. He put the ship into a series of spiral manoeuvres, each successive circle different from the one before. Then, once he had the enemy safely in tow, he straightened the wheel and ran for Tavera.
The vemplar ships were at least as fast as his own and certainly as capable of dexterous manoeuvring. But his hands seemed to have a will of their own. He had entered the maze and the enemy was lost in his wake.
The cockpit remained hushed. Only Juvi occasionally broke the silence. ‘Ship on our tail,’ she said, and Tedric’s hands moved in response. ‘Two straight above with tractor beams,’ and Tedric let the ship drop a hundred kilometres. ’Four intersecting at nine o’clock,’ and Tedric’s hands instinctively chose a six o’clock plunge.
On and on it went. Because he couldn’t outrun them, Tedric had to take constant evasive action. One mistake, he knew, one wrong turn of the wheel or jerk of the throttle, and they would all be ash. Occasionally, lifting his head and opening his eyes, he glanced at the main viewscreen, and each time he did, the globe of Tavera loomed larger. They came closer…closer…closer…
Finally, Juvi said, ‘We’re in the atmosphere.’
Tedric looked at the screen in surprise and saw nothing but a broad expanse of brown. She was right: they had arrived.
‘We’ll burn up,’ Pal Galmain warned softly. ‘You’d better ease up on our speed.’
Tedric nodded, ordering his hands to duty. The ship was out of the ma/e, and now it was time to reassert conscious control. ‘Juvi,’ he said, ‘have the computer scan the planetary surface. 1 want to locate this castle and bring us down as close to it as possible.’
’Fra Villion will tear his fur out by the roots when he sees us coming for dinner,’ Juvi said happily as she moved to obey his command.
The others laughed at her joke. Even Pal Galmain cracked a smile. Tedric was gratified by their reaction. This victory, if that was indeed what it could be called, belonged equally to all of them. Their lives as well as his had been spared by mysterious forces he could not yet fully comprehend.
A mile or so above the surface of Tavera, Tedric levelled off the ship’s plunging descent and turned parallel to the ground. The land beneath was a flat, dusty; heavily cratered plain, with only occasional pockets of scrub vegetation to indicate that life existed amid the desolation. Pal Galmain, watching chi the screen, confirmed what Tedric had already guessed. ‘Do not expect to find anything of interest out here. The planet is a vast wasteland. The only civilization Tavera is found within the wails of the castle Sanctuary. We vemplars prefer to make our own world, without the help of foolish nature.’ Galmain’s voice filled with pride as he spoke, and Tedric was reminded that no matter how amiable he sometimes seemed on the surface, underneath, where it mattered, Pal Galmain remained a dedicated and devout vemplar.
The enemy ships that had intercepted them in space continued their dogged pursuit. The computer, having discovered the location of the vemplar castle, was now urging the ship in that direction, but Tedric doubted they would ever reach their goal, a good quarter of the way around the globe. While the ships behind would not be likely to catch up, he expected that more would soon appear, and the limited range of the sky above this one planet would not provide sufficient manoeuvring room for him to duplicate the feat he had pulled off in space.
Wilson’s thoughts seemed to be running in a similar line. He met Tedric’s gaze and shook his head. ‘Villion will undoubtedly send further ships against us, and it won’t be so easy to get away from the next bunch. It’s clear he wants us dead. Why should he quit now, when he’s got us pinned down in his own back yard?’
‘Couldn’t we land?’ Yod Cartwright suggested, looking at the screen.
Wilson shook his head. ‘We’d be burned on the ground rather than the sky. It may make a difference to you, but as far as this old robot’s concerned, one form of death is pretty much as permanent as another.’
‘I didn’t mean after they’d spotted us,’ said Yod. ‘I meant now. We could try to march overland to the castle.’
Tedric shook his head this time. ‘I’ve considered that myself, but it’s too far. Besides, it doesn’t appear there’s sufficient natural food on Tavera to sustain us for more than a few dozen miles. I don’t think we could ever hope to walk a thousand.’ Tedric let his eyes fall on Pal Galmain. The vemplar had a strained look on his face, as though he had been concentrating. ‘Pal Galmain, this is your world. What do you think? Is there a way out for us?’
Galmain nodded slowly. ’There is one possibility. Since Villion has undoubtedly poisoned the minds of the other knights with lies, if they could be made aware of the truth, I think the attack would cease. As a vemplar - even an exiled one - I have a right under the ancient code to present my charges against Villion.’
‘But how can that be done,’ Tedric said, ‘without a radio?’ He kept glancing at the screen, expecting at any moment to discover the presence of additional ships.
‘We vemplars possess certain mental powers. Among these, at the highest level of knighthood, is the ability to project rate’s image across broad expanses of space. It would be relatively simple for me to reach the castle and attempt to find help. However, 1 expect that Villion is in personal charge of this attack. Our ship would more than likely be destroyed - and my body with it - before I could succeed in convincing the others of his treachery.’
Tedric recalled that the first time he had seen Fra Villion it had been his image he had actually confronted. Yod Cartwright had proved that by firing a heatgun at Villion to no avail. ’Is there any other possibility?’ asked Tedric.
’Only this,’ Pal Galmain said. ’There are ships behind us and soon, I expect, ships ahead of us. All will possess means of communicating among themselves. If I could project my image into one of the ships and state my case, it might be possible to receive a favourable hearing, end this assault, and guarantee our safe passage to the castle.’ ’
‘Will you try it?’ asked Tedric.
’The effort will be difficult. Their ships are in motion, as is ours. It will b
e a delicate, perhaps impossible task. Also, for me to make the attempt will necessitate leaving my body untended. Before I can consent to that, I will require your assurance to watch over me.’ in what way?’
’There is a good chance this ship will be burned down or forced to crash before I can succeed in saving us. If that proves to be the case, I do not want my body to fall into the hands of Fra Villion.’
‘May I ask why?’
‘It is a question of pride. Villion, should he claim my corpse, would undoubtedly choose to display my head as a trophy. I want your promise to destroy my body in the event the need arises.’
’Then you have my word,’ Tedric said, though he wasn’t certain he would be able to fulfil his promise. If the ship did go down, he would more than likely be dead himself. Villion could then display as many heads as he wished.
Still, Galmain seemed satisfied. ’Then I will now attempt to save us all.’
‘Will the other vemplars be able to recognise you? The way you look now isn’t the way they’ll remember you.’
Galmain smiled confidently. ‘We knights have ways of identifying ourselves.’
’Then you ought…’
He broke off as Juvi spoke loudly. ‘Ships ahead,’ she said. ‘I’ve spotted four already and there may be more.’
Tedric glanced down at the screen in front of him. He counted five ships approaching from ahead - then six. ‘I’m going to dive,’ he told them. ‘We’ll see if we can slip under them.’ As he spoke, his eyes happened to pass Pal Galmain. The vemplar‘s body stood as rigid as a statue. All the life had gone out of it.
But there was no time to think about Galmain. Either he would succeed in his effort or fail. Tedric could not help him now. The ship dived, but the enemy kept pace. In the viewscreen, the planetary surface rushed up at them like a big brown fist. Tedric came to a quick decision. ‘We’re going to have to land,’ he announced. ‘We may not stand any better chance down there than up here but it’s the only hope we’ve got.’
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