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"Where's the leader of these creatures?"
"Probably running for his life. He hoped to catch you by surprise, as he
caught the other ship."
"What happened to them?"
NEWELL explained, as briefly as he could. Then he was brought into the ship,
to explain all over again to the captain.
The latter frowned. "He's probably saved a few slaves."
"And he may be able to create more. The method isn't too difficult. And he may
have found another vial of the chemical which I took from him. He's still
dangerous."
"He'll have to be caught. You know his habits. And you know this section of
the planet. Do you think you can lead us to him?"
"I'll try. We'll have to be wary, though. In forests like these, it's easy to
walk into an ambush."
"Yes. It's even possible to be led into one. I wonder, Newell, just how
trustworthy you really are."
"Still remembering that I'm supposed to be a criminal, are you? Mr. Hilton and
his daughter should be able to testify to my character. They're the ones who
were kidnapped from the freighter."
"And they're still alive? Good. Where are they?"
Where were they? They had been close behind him the last time he had
looked but that had been at least a half hour ago, at the beginning of the
battle. Newell felt the blood drain out of his face at the thought that they
might have fallen into the desperate Bulkley's hands.
"I thought they were near me, Captain. They must have become lost during the
battle."
"You don't think they might have been taken prisoner by Bulkley, do you?"
demanded the Captain sharply. "I'm afraid so, sir."
"That's another reason for finding him in a hurry. Newell, you may have a
couple of my men, with a heavy gun. I can't spare any more."
"I won't need any more, sir. I have my own plant-soldiers. They're trained to
attack others of their kind, but not human beings. They'll take care of the
creatures that Bulkley still has left, and make it possible for us to get at
him."
The fatigue of a moment ago was gone. Now fear for Indra and her father seemed
to race through his blood, arousing him to new and greater efforts.
Where could Bulkley have taken them? Not across the field, not under the guns
of the ship. He must have drawn back from the plastex hut, first stripping it
of the things he thought he would need most.
Chemicals to create new dragon-tooth seeds, tubes to create light, a generator
unit. He would not let go of these if he could help it.
The two men the Captain had assigned to him were waiting. "Stay with me," he
ordered. To his plant-soldiers he flashed a light-signal. "Deploy across the
field, then advance."
They spread out, moved forward. Smoke drifted across the sky from the still
smoldering battlefield, but here, where no fighting had taken place, the
ground itself was redolent of leaves and grasses, of small creepers and
flowering shrubs.
Now we'll see, thought Newell, which general will die in bed and which with
his boots on. This time
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it's the showdown either Bulkley or me. But he has a powerful threat in what
he can do to Indra and her father.
Everything looks peaceful now, no sign of danger anywhere. Wonder how many
slaves Bulkley has left. Less than a score out of the two thousand he started
with, the two thousand I gave him. They won't help him now. And neither will
his weapons. I'll tear him apart with my bare hands if I have to.
THE WOODEN army came to a sudden confused halt. Before them stood a man Hilton
himself, holding up his hand in warning. Newell exclaimed, "Mr. Hilton? You're
safe! But where's Indra?"
"That, sir, is what I am about to explain to you. Do not advance, Mr. Newell.
And tell your men, if I
may be permitted to employ the expression to refer to such obviously nonhuman
creatures, to remain in position. I am here, sir, under duress. I am, despite
what you conceive to be my freedom to speak to you, a captive."
"Then Bulkley's in back of you, holding a gun on you!"
"You surmise the situation correctly, Mr. Newell, and state it concisely. In
order to complete the picture, however, I must add that my daughter " his
resonant voice faltered for a moment, then picked up again "my daughter is
also being threatened with death."
"It won't help him. Do you hear that, Bulkley, wherever you are? Your goose is
cooked now. Your only chance is to surrender and plead for mercy."
There was a moment's silence. Then the old man said, "He will not answer
directly, for fear of revealing his position. He is within earshot, but I
myself cannot state precisely where."
"That won't help him either."
"I devoutly hope not, Mr. Newell, but I must none the less repeat the message
he gave me. Either you surrender, or my own life and my daughter's will be
forfeit. I am not intimidated, sir, although if not for this unfortunate
occurrence, I should still have many years of useful existence before me. I am
in my vigorous one hundred and twenties, and my father, as you may not know,
lived more than forty years beyond that age, until an unhappy accident "
Newell lost track of the old man's wandering words. He remembered only that he
had to save Indra.
Somewhere near them, Bulkley was hiding, the girl probably gagged to keep her
from crying out. And she was probably being held by one of Bulkley's few
remaining slaves, so that she couldn't run away. But where was the group
concealed?
He caught the thread of the old man's words. "And those, sir, are his terms."
"Say that again!"
"I thought I had made the conditions clear. Nevertheless, sir, I shall repeat.
Mr. Bulkley asks you to throw down your weapons and come forward unarmed after
giving orders to you men to retreat."
"He wants me to put myself in his power, is that it?"
"That is the situation, Mr. Newell. Otherwise he will murder my daughter and
me."
Newell shouted, "I have no weapons with me, Bulkley, so I can't throw them
down. But that won't stop me from coming at you."
"Wait, Mr. Newell. First you must order your men to retreat."
"I'll signal them, all right."
He put his hand in his pocket and drew out the hypnotizer. The light began to
glow, to go through its pulsing sequence of colors.
His own plant-creatures stood as if paralyzed. And Bulkley's? They must see it
too. Whichever ones were holding Indra could no longer exert their strength.
If she sensed their lack of power, and wrenched herself free
There was a sudden creaking as of branches swaying from twenty-five yards [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]