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diff --git a/old/53059.txt b/old/53059.txt deleted file mode 100644 index baa7fd2..0000000 --- a/old/53059.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,2086 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of To Save Earth, by Edward W. Ludwig - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - -Title: To Save Earth - -Author: Edward W. Ludwig - -Illustrator: Virgil Finlay - Van Dogen - -Release Date: September 16, 2016 [EBook #53059] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TO SAVE EARTH *** - - - - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - - TO SAVE EARTH - - BY EDWARD W. LUDWIG - - ILLUSTRATED BY VAN DOGEN - - [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from - Worlds of Tomorrow October 1963 - Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that - the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] - - - - - The life of everyone on Earth depended on - their sanity ... which they had long ago lost! - - -For more than six years the silver rocket was like a tomb buried at -the Earth's center. It wore the blackness of interstellar space for a -shroud, and ten thousand gleaming stars were as the eyes of hungry, -waiting worms. - -Five of the inhabitants of the rocket moved like zombies, stone-faced -and dull-eyed, numb even to their loneliness. - -The sixth inhabitant did not move at all. He sat silent and unseeing. -The sixth inhabitant was mad. - -There had been times when all of them--mad and near-mad--had forgotten -that they hurtled through space, that they were men and that they were -growing old. Occasionally they had even forgotten that the destiny of -mankind might lie in their hands like a fragile flower to be preserved -or crushed. - -But now came a moment six years one month and five days after their -departure from Earth. The sole planet of Sirius loomed green and blue -in the ship's magni-screen. The sight of the shining planet was like a -heavenly trumpet call, a signal for resurrection. - -The inhabitants stirred, rubbed their eyes, and tried to exhume -forgotten hopes and memories from the lethargy of their minds.... - - * * * * * - -"What do you think?" asked Lieutenant Washington. - -Captain Jeffrey Torkel, gaunt-faced and gray, stiffened his lean body. -At this moment all memory had left him, like a wind-tossed balloon -leaping out of his skull. - -_It's happened again_, he thought. _I've forgotten. Oh God, why must I -keep forgetting?_ - -"Tell me what you think, Captain," said a balding, dark-skinned man -clad in khakis. - -Captain Torkel stared at the blue-green, cloud-mottled image in the -screen. Where was he? Certainly not in South Dakota. Certainly not on a -field of golden, bristling wheat. No, he had the feeling that much time -had passed since those boyhood days on the Dakota farm. - -He glanced at the strange man who had spoken to him. The balloon -snapped back into his skull. Memory returned. - -_At least it wasn't gone for a week this time_, he thought. _Thank you, -God._ - -"You must be thinking _something_," persisted the man who had become -Lieutenant Washington. - -The captain rubbed his gray stubble of beard. "I guess I'm thinking -that we're afraid and bewildered. We're not as full of strength and -hope as saviors of the race should be. Sure, what we find here today -will mean either life or death for the race. But the concept has been -with us for too long. It's already made us half-mad. And the same part -of our minds is afraid to hope lest it be disappointed. After all, the -planet might be radioactive or uninhabitable, or--" - -"But, Lord, Captain! Even with the sub-spatial drive it's taken us six -years to get here. If there's a God who answers prayers, it's _got_ to -be a good planet. Sirius has only one planet. This is the last chance -left for the race. And look at it, Captain! The blue places must be -water and the green must be land. It's bigger than Earth, but it looks -almost like it!" - -Captain Torkel nodded. "Whether it's good or bad, we still can't win, -really. If it's bad, humanity dies and we stay on the ship for the -rest of our lives. If it's good, we'll still be on it for twelve more -years--six years back to Earth and another six to return here." - -Lieutenant Washington began to shake. "I don't know if I could take -twelve more years in space. Twelve years of eating and sleeping and -playing chess in the silence and nothing but darkness outside, and -trying to find a micro-movie we haven't seen a hundred times--all that, -over and over--" He closed his eyes. "I don't think the others could -take it either. They'd probably become like Kelly." - -Kelly was the mad one. - -"We have no other choice, Lieutenant. If the planet's habitable, we -have to take the news back." - -The lieutenant shuddered. "I--I need a drink," he faltered. "I know. I -said I wasn't going to drink today. I'm not either. Not much. I want to -be on my feet when we hit that planet. But--excuse me, Captain." - -Captain Torkel watched the gaunt officer stride to the aft compartment. -He suddenly realized that the lieutenant was bald. The top of his -Negroid skull shone like a dark egg. When had _that_ happened? Only a -short time ago, it seemed, the lieutenant had been a young man with -soft thick hair. _Those six years did it_, thought Captain Torkel, -_those six dark, silent, crazy years._ - - * * * * * - -The lieutenant returned a few seconds later, calmer now, reeking with -the stench of laboratory alcohol spilled on his jacket. - -Captain Torkel, as always, pretended not to notice the stench. - -"Captain," said Lieutenant Washington deeply. - -"Yes?" - -"Suppose the astrophysicists back on Earth were wrong. They said the -sun would blow up in exactly twelve years, two months and fifteen days. -How could they get it that close? Suppose this planet _is_ habitable, -suppose it _could_ be a new home for humanity. And suppose we start -back home with the news, and then the sun turns into a nova ahead of -schedule--say, in twelve years, two months and _three_ days, when we're -still a week away." - -Captain Torkel swallowed hard. "We have to allow a margin for error, of -course. But I don't think those predictions will be off by more than a -day or two. After all, they've been corroborated in all the broadcasts -we've been able to pick up." - -He smiled grimly. "So if the planet's habitable, we have to start back -to Earth almost at once. We can't allow ourselves more than a day to -rest and try to get the madness out of our systems." - -"Oh, God," murmured Lieutenant Washington, closing his eyes. - -"If we only had our transmitter," Captain Torkel mused, "we could stay -here. We wouldn't have to--" - -"Damn him," interrupted the lieutenant, opening his eyes and clenching -his fists. "_Damn_ him!" - -"Kelly?" - -"Kelly. Why did he do it, Captain? Why did he throw every piece of -transmitting equipment over-board?" - -"Maybe a part of his mind hated Earth. Maybe unconsciously he didn't -want to save humanity. Kelly's crazy. You can't account for the actions -of a crazy man." - -Lieutenant Washington was shaking again. "And so we can't radio Earth -about what we find. If the planet's good, we have to tell Earth the -hard way--by traveling through space for six more years. Captain, I--I -think I'm going to have to get a dr--" - -Footsteps sounded on the deck behind them. Van Gundy, the lean, -hawk-nosed jetman, rushed up to them. He was breathing heavily and -trembling. - -"Captain, Fox stole my harmonica!" - -Captain Torkel scowled. For a moment he forgot Van Gundy's name and who -the lean man was. Then he remembered. - -"Stole your harmonica. Why?" - -"He won't tell me. He's a thief, Captain. He's always stealing things. -You ought to--" - -"Tell him I said for him to give it back to you. Tell him I said that." - -"Yes, sir." Van Gundy clasped his trembling hands. "But that isn't all, -Captain. Garcia said if I got my harmonica back and kept playing it, -he'd kill me." - -"Oh, God. Tell Garcia I said he couldn't." - -"Yes, sir." Van Gundy turned toward the aft compartment, then spun -back, eyes blazing. "I won't let 'em scare me, Captain. If they don't -leave me alone. I'll kill _them_." - - * * * * * - -"The men are like rotting trees," said Captain Torkel a few moments -later, "and you can't tell which way they'll fall. Fox steals. Van -Gundy is afraid of everything and everybody. Garcia keeps breaking -things and threatening violence. Someday he'll break a port, and -that'll be _it_. Finis." - -Lieutenant Washington said, with a hiccough, "Too bad we didn't insist -on having a psychiatrist in the crew. Fox probably thinks he's been -cheated out of his youth, and unconsciously he's trying to steal it -back. Van Gundy has been knocked around so much that everything in the -universe is a source of terror to him. Garcia breaks things." - -He laughed sourly, blowing hot alcoholic breath into the captain's -face. "And me, I'm a dipso who's no good to himself or anyone. You, -Captain ... sometimes I suspect that your memory isn't quite what it -use to be." - -Captain Torkel scratched his stubbled chin. "Six psycho-specimens -trying to save humanity. How did we become so detestable? Are all -Earthmen like us?" - -"Don't you remember?" - -"Remember?" - -"Yes. How when the U. N. announced about the blowup every interstellar -rocket and spaceman in the System was commissioned to discover -new worlds. Each ship was given a destination and an interstellar -ether-radio to send back its findings. Mechanics and technicians still -on Earth were put to work building new rockets to carry the race to its -future home--if one were found. We and the _Star Queen_ were at the -bottom of the barrel. The oldest ship; the crew that ordinarily would -have been grounded." - -Captain Torkel murmured, "I remember. There were fourteen interstellar -ships then. Six cracked up smashing through the Einstein Barrier, -according to what we picked up on the ether receiver. The others -reached their destinations and not one found a habitable world. And -newer ships sent out later had no better luck. Now, all the nearest -star systems have been reached, and there isn't time for the ships to -go on to other systems. By an ugly little prank of Fate, we're Earth's -last chance." - -He straightened. He pressed the warning buzzer and flicked on the -rocket's intercom. - -"All hands to their crash-chairs," he intoned. - - -II - -The crewmen appeared in the rear of the control room. Hesitantly, they -approached the massive, semicircular control panel with its hundred -flashing red and blue lights. - -Fox was in the lead. - -"Captain," the small-boned, brown-bearded radarman said solemnly, "can -we take a look before we belt down?" - -"A short one." - -The men looked. - -Fox seemed ready to kiss the image of the planet. Van Gundy, wide-eyed, -trembled before it as if at any instant it might destroy him. Garcia, -the swarthy engineer, glowered at it as though threatening to crush it -like an eggshell. - -"I want Kelly to see this," said Fox. He hurried aft, nervously -stroking his beard. - -An instant later he returned, leading the former radioman by the hand. -Kelly's soft blue eyes stared vacantly out of a pink, cherubic face. He -was as plump as a dumpling, and his hair was as red as prairie fire. -His short body moved woodenly. - -"Come on, Kelly," said Fox. "You got to see this. Nobody's going to -stop you from seeing this, by God." - -The fire-haired man stood before the magni-screen. - -Fox pointed. "See it?" - -Kelly stared. - -"He can't see it," rumbled Garcia. "He's crazy." - -"Not too crazy to see this," Fox retorted. - -Kelly's head bent forward. His lip quivered. "Home," he mumbled. - -Fox jerked, eyes widening. "Hey, Kelly spoke! Did you hear that? He -spoke! First time in two years!" - -"Home," Kelly mumbled again. - -"No, not home," Fox explained. "It's the only planet of Sirius." - -"Hell," said Garcia, "if it'll make him happier, let him think it's -Earth." - -"No, it's the only planet of--" - -"We can't be saying 'the only planet of Sirius' all the time. We got to -give it a name." - -"Home," mumbled the madman. - -"What kind of a name would _that_ be?" growled Garcia. - -Captain Torkel said, patiently, "Kelly didn't mean that for a name. He -was just saying the word." - -Fox cried, "Let's name it after Kelly. Kelly's Planet!" - -Van Gundy stepped forward. He was trembling. His trembling seemed as -much a part of him as sight in his eyes. "No," he said. - -"Why not?" snapped Fox. - -"Because of what he did. He took the transmitter and--" - -"We know all that. He couldn't help it. He's a schizophrenic. That -doesn't mean we can't name a world after him, does it?" - -Garcia balled his hands into fists. "Fox is right. I say we call it -Kelly's Planet. How about it, Captain?" - -"It's all right with me," said the captain. - -"Then Kelly's Planet it is!" cried Fox. - -"Strap down," Captain Torkel said. "This is it. We're going to land." - -Then he said the words again in his mind: _This is it. This is the -world that will give death or life to humanity, madness or sanity to -us._ - - * * * * * - -The midnight blackness of space dissolved into gentle twilight as the -_Star Queen_ slid into the atmosphere of Kelly's Planet. The grumble of -the jets became audible and then swelled until it was like a rebirth of -the thunderous sound of an April takeoff more than six years ago. - -Captain Torkel switched on the second layer of bow jets, braced -himself in his crash-chair. Despite the effects of the deceleration -compensator, his face was swollen and distorted. It was as if the soul -was bubbling out of his body. - -He realized that he should have commenced deceleration some ninety -minutes ago. But he had forgotten. - -The image of the planet broadened in the magni-screen. It filled the -screen, then seemed to spill out of it. Captain Torkel beheld an -expanse of blue which, in a silent explosion, was transformed into the -cerulean calm of a sea. The blue was swept away. The brownish gold -of mountains stabbed briefly upward, faded into the shadowy green of -rushing forest. Then came the glassy green of a meadow. - -The _Star Queen_ paused, shaking with vibration. Its nose arched upward. - -The _Star Queen_ landed with an almost imperceptible thump. The atomic -engines spluttered, coughed, died. The men unbuckled themselves, tested -their limbs, slid off their chairs. They moved to the portholes like -frightened old men treading on slippery ice. - -They looked out. - - * * * * * - -They stared for a long moment. "I don't believe it," said Fox at last. -"It's a mirage. We're still in space." - -"It--it frightens me," stuttered Van Gundy. "There's death out there. -The air is poisonous. I feel it." - -"We're crazy," Garcia spat. "As crazy as Kelly." His eyes widened. "Or -maybe we're dead. Could that be?" - -"E--excuse me, Captain," said Lieutenant Washington. "I think I'll go -aft for a minute." - -Captain Torkel said nothing. He had forgotten where he was. He was -nameless and lost, among strangers in a strange place. - -But at this moment he somehow did not care. He was content to let his -hungry gaze absorb the rainbow beauty beyond the ports. - -The meadow was like molten emerald stirring lazily in a slight breeze. -The meadow was spotted with flowers as large as a man's head, shaped -like teardrops, and shining purple and yellow and blue and crimson in -the light from a swollen, blood-red sun. - -Some five hundred yards away on the rocket's starboard side rose a -towering green forest. In its shadow was a dark jungle of colossal -fern and twisted vines and more flowers. Beyond that, far away, -snow-cloaked mountains stretched their ponderous bulk into sea-blue -sky. - -Captain Torkel returned his slow gaze to the interior of the strange -place in which he stood. He beheld a group of strange men doing strange -things. - -A stern-looking man with tight lips and menacing eyes was looking up -from a litter of glass flasks and electronic devices. "Air twenty-nine -per cent oxygen--a bit higher than on Earth. Sixty-five per cent -nitrogen. Rest is a mixture of water vapor, CO2 and inert gases." - -A small-boned man with a brown beard was saying, "Mass -point-eight-three. That and the increased oxygen should make us feel -like kids again." - -A hawk-nosed man with trembling hands and a forehead glistening with -perspiration said, "Temperature sixty-four Fahrenheit. No harmful -radiation, pathogenic tests negative. Air pressure, eleven-point-three." - -He pointed to an odd-looking flower and a tuft of grass in the window -of a metal, box-like chamber. "Flora shows the same oxygen-CO2 cycle as -on Earth. Only the flowers here seem edible." - -The men looked at one another. - -"Captain, is everything all right?" the brown-bearded man asked -anxiously. - -Captain Torkel sensed that the strange men desired an affirmative -answer from him. "Yes," he said. - -The brown-bearded man clapped his hands. "And we can go outside! How -about it, Captain? Can we go outside without our suits? Can we go out -now--please?" - -_Click._ - - * * * * * - -Memory returned to Captain Torkel like water crashing out of a broken -dam and into a barren valley. He blinked and took a deep breath. - -The three men before him became Garcia and Fox and Van Gundy. He saw -that Kelly was still strapped in his crash-chair. He did not see -Lieutenant Washington, but from the aft compartment came a faint -tinkling of glassware. - -"Yes," he said, "we'll go outside. But first someone should go -alone--just in case. Who'll volunteer?" - -"Not me," said Van Gundy. "You can't depend on those tests. There's -death out there. The whole human race will die out if it comes here." - -"Why not let Kelly go?" asked Fox. "It's his planet." - -"Sure," said Garcia. "If he dies, it'd serve him right, after what _he_ -did." - -Captain Torkel thought, _It may be a dangerous planet. The captain -ought to go first. He shouldn't send a madman to do a captain's job._ - -"Let Kelly go first," he said, hating himself. - -Fox helped Kelly out of the crash-chair, pushed him to the airlock. - -"Go on, Kelly. This is your planet. You'll be the first to set foot on -it." - -Kelly did not move. - -Fox pulled him to a port. "Look out there, Kelly. Damn it, don't keep -looking at your feet. Out there, out the port!" - -Fox raised Kelly's head and brushed the red hair back from his eyes. - -The madman looked. - -"Heaven?" he whispered. - -"Not Heaven. Kelly's Planet. Your planet, Kelly." - -They pushed Kelly into the airlock. A minute later they saw him stumble -onto the green meadows. For eleven more minutes he stood silent and -motionless. Then he turned toward the rocket. Through the ports the men -saw his lips move. - -"Heaven!" yelled Fox. "That's what he said! He said 'Heaven'!" - - -III - -Captain Torkel and Fox and Garcia and Van Gundy stood beside Kelly. -Lieutenant Washington, too drunk to stand, sprawled in the grass. - -They let the cool, clean air wash out their lungs like sweet perfume. -They took off their shoes. They dug their toes into the soft, silky -grass. They sniffed the poignant, spicy smell of the brilliant flowers. - -Van Gundy, despite his trembling, played _Turkey in the Straw_ on his -harmonica. Captain Torkel did a dance like that of a Russian Cossack. -Lieutenant Washington, squatting like a dark Buddha and with his torso -swaying drunkenly, clapped his hands in time with the dance. Fox hummed -the tune, and even Kelly nodded his head rhythmically. Only Garcia -stood motionless. - -"It's a good planet!" exclaimed Fox at last. - -Van Gundy's trembling hand whacked spit out of his harmonica. His eyes -rolled fearfully toward the forest. "We don't know for sure yet." - -"I think Fox is right," said Captain Torkel. "It _is_ a good planet. -Enjoy it, men. Breathe deeply. Smell those flowers. Feel the grass. -Because very soon we've got to start Earthward. We've got to store our -memories full of this beauty so it'll last for twelve years." - -"Oh, God," sighed Fox. "Twelve years." - -Garcia stepped forward, swelling his chest. Strangely, it seemed that -all the hatred had been drained out of him. "I was wrong," he said. -"We're not crazy and we're not dead. This planet is good. It's so good -that I'd like to stay here as long as I live." - -"What?" asked Captain Torkel, blinking. - -"I said I'd like to stay here as long as I live." - -The words echoed in the still air. They were like evil seeds, falling -into fertile minds and sprouting. - -"And not go back to Earth?" asked Fox, stroking his beard. - -"And not go back to Earth." - - * * * * * - -Captain Torkel stiffened. "Get those thoughts out of your head, Garcia. -There are two billion people back on Earth. They'll die unless we tell -them about this planet. We've got wives, friends--" - -"Not me," said Garcia sternly. "No wife and no friends." - -Fox shrilled, "The only reason I volunteered for this trip was to -get away from my wife and that lousy New York apartment. You're not -married, are you, Captain?" - -"N--no." - -"Me neither," hiccoughed Lieutenant Washington. "Not many girls'll -marry spacemen." - -"Kelly's married, though," mused Fox. "How about it, Kelly?" - -"Heaven," mumbled Kelly. - -Fox laughed. "Kelly means he wants to stay here." - -Captain Torkel wiped perspiration from his upper lip with the back of -his hand. "We got to get these thoughts out of our minds. We're talking -like murderers. Garcia, think of the people you used to know. Think of -their faces. Imagine how it would be for them to die." - -Garcia looked up into the sky, his features softening. "I can't -remember any faces, Captain. I can remember how the gulls used to fly -over the coast at Monterey and how the fishing boats used to bounce -over the waves. That's all. The gulls and the boats will be destroyed -anyway. We can't save those." - -Captain Torkel turned to Fox. "_You_ remember faces, don't you, Fox?" - -The little man shrugged. "They're like those crowd scenes we used to -see in movies--hundreds and thousands of faces all huddled together. -You really can't remember a single one. They're like shadows." - -"But you remember your wife's face." - -"I don't want to remember that. I might vomit. And I don't want to -remember that cheesy New York apartment either." - -In desperation the captain turned to Van Gundy. "And you?" - -"I--I remember the face of an old woman who sold flowers on O'Farrell -Street in Frisco. Stood there all year long, she did. In winter, -summer, spring, fall. I used to buy gardenias from her when I had a -date." - -"Do you want her to die?" - -"She was so old that she's probably dead by this time anyway. But -listen, Captain, I--I'm not sure yet that this planet--" - -Captain Torkel whirled frantically to Lieutenant Washington, kicked him -lightly in the side. The lieutenant, apparently somewhat sobered by the -cool air, rose shakily. - -"Lieutenant, _you_ remember the people of Earth. Can't you still see -their faces in your mind?" - - * * * * * - -"The only face I remember," drawled Lieutenant Washington, "is my -Mom's. A good face, with a lot of work in it, but thin around the lips -and wrinkled around the eyes. It was a cold face, though. Mom was born -in Louisiana and then moved up to Maine as a girl. Her bones weren't -the kind to take those New England winters. So Mom slept, ate, lived -and died cold. Been dead now for eight years, and I think she's still -cold, even in her grave. I don't believe Mom'd mind one bit if the -Earth burns up. She'd be warm then. I think she'd like it." - -"That's not the point," said Captain Torkel angrily. "The point is--" - -Fox broke in: "What do _you_ remember, Captain?" - -Captain Torkel swallowed hard. "Me? Why, I remember, I--" His mouth -remaining open, he scratched the back of his neck. His memories -suddenly vanished like puffs of smoke. - -"Just like the rest of us!" burst Garcia, triumphantly. - -"You know, Captain," said Fox, "if we didn't go back, the race wouldn't -have to roast. People would still escape in their emergency rockets." - -"But they wouldn't know where to go. They'd float around a few years, -and then those flimsy mass-production ships would break up. Good Lord, -men, we've got to act like human beings!" - -Garcia stepped forward. "Why don't we decide this later? Can't we relax -for a few hours, Captain?" - -Lieutenant Washington nodded agreement. "He's right. You said yourself, -Captain, that if the planet was good we'd spend a day or so getting the -madness out of our systems." - -"All right," murmured Captain Torkel, shoulders drooping. "We'll look -around some more." - -They walked toward the forest. Fox led Kelly by the hand. Lieutenant -Washington advanced under his own power. - -They saw trees five hundred feet high with brown trunks like twisted, -lumpy crullers and leaves like elephant ears of green velvet. From -smaller trees hung fruit that shimmered like golden snow as light -touched it. Here and there were clusters of scarlet berries as large as -apples, and chocolate-brown balls the size of coconuts. - -"Don't touch 'em," said Van Gundy, trembling. "I'll bet they're deadly -poison." - -"They look delicious," said Captain Torkel, stuffing three specimens in -his knapsack, "but we'll test them first." - -Van Gundy screamed. - -The others whirled to look at him. - -Van Gundy, speechless, pointed with a trembling forefinger. - -A brown, smiling face broke out of the fern foliage. Then another -appeared, and another and another. - -A score or more of brown-skinned humanoids walked up to them. - - -IV - -The Sirians were dressed in loin cloths as bright and multi-colored -as the tear-shaped meadow flowers. Their resemblance to Earthmen made -Captain Torkel gasp. - -He could discern no appreciable difference save for the perfect -roundness of their dark eyes and a slight elongation of their ears. -Their flesh was golden tan. - -"Well, hello!" said Captain Torkel. - -The Sirians moved toward him, with such grace that they seemed not men -striding through the singing forest, but part of the living trees and -ferns and flowers. - -"Hello," echoed the foremost Sirian, smiling. He was a young man, about -thirty by Earth standards, with long black hair and wide, muscular -shoulders. His handsome face reminded Captain Torkel of romantic Latin -heroes in the micro-movies aboard the _Star Queen_. - -Captain Torkel pointed to the sky. "We come from up there, from another -world." - -The Sirian's eyes were like black lights spearing into the captain's -skull. "Yes, you come from star. You are Star People. Where is your -star?" - -"It's a long way--" - -"Hey, he spoke in English!" cried Fox. "What the hell!" - -"I--I'm going back to the rocket," stammered Van Gundy, shaking. - -"Lord, I need a drink," murmured Lieutenant Washington, stepping back -with Van Gundy. - -"Wait, all of you," Captain Torkel commanded them. To the Sirian he -said, "We know that Earthmen haven't been here before. How do you speak -our language?" - -The young man's smile broadened. "Your mind is a fire sending out -warmth to us. Within the warmth I see sounds you use to make words." - -"Telepathy," said Captain Torkel. - -"Yes," the Sirian agreed. "And I see that your people are troubled. -They fear a strange thing--a coming of heat and light. Your world is -soon to be destroyed, yes?" - -Suddenly the captain was afraid. The fear came to him in an invisible -cloud, settling over him, seeping into his flesh and chilling his -bones. He tried to believe that it was the senseless fear of a child -whose imagination has peopled the dark corners of his room with -nameless monsters. He tried to crush the fear, but it clung to him in -fog-cold intensity. - -The Sirian nodded understandingly. "You must not worry now about the -coming of the great heat. You are tired. You must come with us to our -village. You must see how we live." - - * * * * * - -The captain's legs were weak. He wanted to flee; he wanted to escape -from the Sirian's omnipresent smile and his round-eyed piercing gaze. - -Van Gundy whispered to him, very softly, "Did you bring weapons, -Captain? Should we go without weapons?" - -"I--I forgot about weapons," he whispered back, his face reddening. - -Fox said anxiously, "How about it, Captain? Do we go with them?" - -"I don't want to go," said Van Gundy, trembling. "Don't make me go, -Captain." - -"I'll be damned if I'll go," muttered Garcia. "I'm going back to the -rocket." - -Captain Torkel nodded. "You two can go back to the rocket." - -Fox leaned forward. "The rest of us can go, can't we?" - -Captain Torkel frowned at Fox and Lieutenant Washington and Kelly. The -fear was still in him, but he said softly, "All right, we'll go." - -Garcia and Van Gundy ran back toward the _Star Queen_, white-faced, -shoulders hunched. Captain Torkel and Fox and Kelly and Lieutenant -Washington, led by the young Sirian, stumbled down a wide forest trail. -Other Sirians darted on either side of them and behind them, half -hidden by the thick foliage. They were like happy, dancing nymphs. -Every second or two the forest echoed their clear, melodious laughter. - -"We forgot to introduce ourselves," Captain Torkel said to the Sirian. -"My name is Torkel, Captain Jeffrey Torkel." - -"My name is Taaleeb," replied the Sirian. - -"A pretty name. You are the leader of your people?" - -The Sirian's smile gave way to uncertainty. "Leader--that is a strange -thought in your mind. We have no leaders." - -"But you _must_ have leaders." - -"Why?" asked the Sirian, his eyes wide. "We have no star-boat. We are -not going anyplace." - -The captain cleared his throat. "We have leaders not only in our -rockets. We have them to help us make our laws, to supervise our work, -to guide us in the decisions of our living." - -The Sirian laughed like a happy child. "Laws, work--more strange -thoughts. We do not have laws. We do not have work." - -A scowl creased Captain Torkel's forehead. "But you _must_ do work of -some kind. What do you do all the time?" - -"We pick fruit from the trees and make love and sing and sleep and lie -in the forest and make up poems. Is there anything else to do?" - -"But when you build shelters or make clothes--_that_ is work." - -Taaleeb laughed again. "No, no. Building a shelter or making clothes is -just building a shelter or making clothes." - -They came to the village. It lay in circle of domes about eight feet -high that reflected the same shining colors as the meadow flowers. -Whether they were wooden, metallic or vegetable Captain Torkel could -not tell. - -"This is where we live," said Taaleeb proudly. - -Captain Torkel nodded. - -Then he saw the women coming toward them. - - * * * * * - -He felt the hair rise on the nape of his neck. For an instant he -thought he was going to fall backward. Somehow he caught himself and -managed to remain erect. - -The women stood in a line in the center of the clearing as if gathered -to meet the Earthmen. Like the men, they were clad only in loin-cloths. -They were bronzed, sultry young goddesses. - -The captain's gaze traveled over the nearest, a girl of perhaps twenty. -His gaze began with her midnight hair that cascaded to firm, round -breasts in a shower of black silk. It turned to her piquant, up-turned -nose and dimpled cheeks and pink, sensual mouth. It fell to the slim, -full body and the sweep of long, tanned thigh. - -The girl smiled at him. Her eyes were like wells of interstellar space -silvered with sparkling stars. - -He sat down on his haunches, too weak to stand. He'd almost forgotten -that women of flesh and blood existed. He'd almost begun to believe -that women were memories hidden in dark corners of his mind or -flickering images striding across a micro-movie screen. - -"We have presents for you," the young Sirian said, smiling down at him. - -Captain Torkel forced his eyes away from the girl. He saw that older -women and children were standing beside him, smiling, their arms filled -with strange containers. - -"Wine for the Star People," said a white-haired woman. She seized a -golden flagon and filled golden cups held by children. - -"Food for the Star People," said another. - -More smiling women and children appeared carrying greenish, transparent -bowls filled with slices of a yellow, porous substance. - -Taaleeb chuckled at Captain Torkel's hesitancy. "It is good food," he -said. "Everything is good. There is no end to food and no end to wine. -There is plenty for all." - -Lieutenant Washington and Fox and Kelly squatted beside Captain Torkel, -accepting the strange bowls and the golden flagons. - -Fox whispered, "Captain, shall we let Kelly test the food first? It -_could_ be poisonous." - -"Let Kelly test it first," murmured Captain Torkel, hating himself -again. - -Fox stuffed a slice of the yellow food into Kelly's mouth. The -fire-haired man gulped and blinked and grinned like a summer sunrise. - -"Heaven," he mumbled. - -Suddenly Captain Torkel froze. "Wait. Can't you see what these people -are trying to do? They can read our minds. They know that we'll -probably bring millions and millions of people to their planet, that -we'll probably overrun their civilization. They don't want us to go -back to Earth. They want us to stay here. They're just pretending--" - -He stopped as he saw the bronzed form of Taaleeb towering above him. - -"You are wrong," said the Sirian, and it seemed that his smile -faded ever so slightly, and a muscle in his cheek twitched almost -imperceptibly. "Your thoughts are not good. We will welcome the people -of your star--those who survive the long journey. We will be sorry to -see you leave so soon. You leave in one day, yes? Then we will try to -make your visit pleasant. Now, you must eat and drink. Be gay, my good -friends." - -Captain Torkel grunted. Reluctantly, he tasted the yellow food. It was -delicious as a golden-brown fried chicken on Earth. His mood lightened. - -He saw that it wouldn't be necessary to test the wine on Kelly. -Lieutenant Washington had already emptied his flagon. It was now being -refilled. - -"Wine, Captain," said the smiling Sirian. "You must try our wine." - - * * * * * - -Captain Torkel cautiously raised the shining flagon to his lips. He -sipped. It was more than wine. It was a sparkling, bubbling nectar of -the gods. His throat and stomach glowed under its stimulating warmth. -An almost miraculous sense of peace and well-being flooded through his -body. It was as if he had become a god. - -"More?" asked Taaleeb. - -"Well--just a little." - -Captain Torkel drank again. To Lieutenant Washington, he said, "I guess -I was wrong. The Sirians are fine people. They really do like us." - -The lieutenant drained his golden flagon. "I'm sure of it." - -"Me, too," said Fox, pouring more of the sparkling liquid into Kelly's -mouth. "I'd like to stay here always." - -"Heaven," gurgled Kelly. - -"You like the wine?" asked the smiling Sirian. - -"Yes!" - -"You relish our food?" - -"Of course!" - -"You are pleased with the daughters of our village?" - -Captain Torkel shook with desire. "Quite pleased. They are beautiful." - -"Each of you would like one of our daughters to stay with you during -your visit here?" - -Captain Torkel gulped. There was a movement among the women as of wind -stirring through tall grass. The tall, lissome bodies stepped closer to -the Earthmen. - -"I, er--" - -"I think we would," said Fox, nodding eagerly. - -"Then each of you may pick a companion," said Taaleeb. "Perhaps you -would like to select two for your friends who did not come to our -village." - -Captain Torkel rose, swallowing hard. He bowed shakily to the girl -nearest him. "Would you--" - -The girl smiled and stepped to his side. - -Lieutenant Washington wiped perspiration from his bald head. He -pointed. "I'll take you," he said thickly. "And you two for Garcia and -Van Gundy." - -"Garcia and Van Gundy may not want companions," said Captain Torkel. - -"Don't be silly." - -Eyes shining, Fox selected a tall, lean-faced girl. Then he pulled -Kelly forward. "Kelly, pick yourself out a companion." - -Kelly belched. - -"Pick out one of the girls, you idiot. Which one do you want?" - -Kelly stared glassily at the waiting, watching figures. - -"All." - -"No, Kelly, you can't have them all. Just one. Pick out one. No, I'll -pick one out for you." Fox nodded at one of the girls. She laughed and -came to Kelly. - -Captain Torkel downed the rest of his wine. "Now we'll return to the -rocket with our companions." - - * * * * * - -Taaleeb cocked his head, widening his omnipresent smile. "But your -companions must wash and scent themselves and select the proper -clothing. They must make themselves ready. You will return here tonight -as the sun falls into the forest." - -"Oh," said Captain Torkel, slumping. Then he shrugged. "We'll see you -tonight then." - -His gaze turned to Fox. His mouth tightened. - -"Fox," he said sternly. - -"Hummm?" - -"Put it back." - -Fox's brows lifted innocently. - -"Put back the cup. Take it out of your pocket." - -Pouting like a disappointed child, Fox placed the stolen cup on the -ground. - -"The bowl, too." - -Fox's lips formed a silent curse. He put down the bowl that he'd hidden -under his armpit. - -Taaleeb stepped forward. "No, this must not be. Your friend must keep -the cup and the bowl. Keep, please." He placed the objects in Fox's -hands. "There are our gifts to our friends." His eyes twinkled slyly. - -"I say just one more thing," he went on, his suggestive gaze wandering -over the faces of the Earthmen. "It is such a pity that you think of -leaving us. If you would stay with us always, you would be not only -as friends to us, but also as gods. You would, if you wished, have -a different companion every night. Your stomachs would have all the -wine and food they could hold. We would build you a most big and most -pretty house. Your friend--" he nodded at Fox--"your friend could take -whatever his fingers desired. Your other friend--your thoughts call him -Garcia--could break whatever he wanted. Your other friend, whose name -I see as Van Gundy, would never have to be afraid again. Will you tell -these promises to your Garcia and your Van Gundy?" - -"We'll tell them," said Fox, quickly. - - -V - -They waved good-by and started down the forest trail. - -They began to sing the first song that popped into their heads: - - Glory, glory, Hallelujah, - Glory, glory, Hallelujah, - Glory, glory, Hallelujah, - His truth is marching on. - -The glowing effect of the wine remained with them. Many times they -paused to nibble at the forest fruit and to throw themselves onto the -soft cushions of fern. - -"It's a wonderful planet," declared Captain Torkel. - -"Best in the universe," said Fox. - -"All," mumbled Kelly. - -"And it's a long way home," said Lieutenant Washington suggestively, -with a hiccough. - -"A long, long way," commented Fox. - -The lieutenant grumbled, "What did the people of Earth ever do for us?" - -"Not a darned thing," said Fox. "Besides, I bet the sun has already -exploded. That's what I bet." - -"That Sirian sounded like he meant what he said, didn't he?" - -"Sure he meant it. We'd be like gods." - -"Captain," said Lieutenant Washington. "There's no use arguing any -more. I'm going to stay here. To hell with Homo Sapiens!" - -"To hell with Homo Sapiens!" repeated Fox. - -The wine was still like hypnotic laughter in Captain Torkel's skull. -"I--I don't know. It'd be nice to stay--" - -They came to an object lying in the soft green grass, not far from the -rocket. - -"Hey, here's Van Gundy!" yelled Fox. "Van Gundy drank too much wine. -Van Gundy's drunk!" He laughed and coughed and swallowed and then held -his stomach and laughed again. - -Lieutenant Washington began to sing: - - What shall we do with a drunken spaceman, - What shall we do with-- - -"Shut up," said Captain Torkel, frowning. "Van Gundy wasn't with us. -He didn't drink any wine." - -They stood over Van Gundy. The singing stopped and the laughter -stopped, and time, too, seemed to stop. - -An ivory-handled knife was buried hilt-deep in Van Gundy's throat. - - * * * * * - -They carried the dead man to the shadow beneath the starboard side of -the _Star Queen_. Each was a capped jug of solemn silence. - -Captain Torkel withdrew the knife. "Van Gundy's," he muttered. "Van -Gundy was killed with his own knife." - -He knelt and wiped his blood-smeared hands on the grass. Then he saw -Garcia squatting on the deck in the rocket's open airlock. A fan-nosed -flame pistol dangled from the engineer's loose hand. - -Captain Torkel walked up to him. - -"Give me the pistol, Garcia." - -Garcia didn't answer. His eyes were black pin-points in his hard, -tight-lipped face. He raised the gun, leveled the barrel at the -captain's chest. - -"Give me the pistol. That's an order." - -Garcia's face was a dark cloud of hatred and savagery. - -"Garcia! I'm your captain! Give me the gun!" - -The animal savagery faded from Garcia's face. He lowered the pistol and -extended it by the barrel. - -Captain Torkel moved forward and seized it. Then he puffed out his -cheeks, blew breath from them, wiped sweat from his forehead. - -Fox shouted, "The ports, Captain! Look at 'em! Look at the ports!" - -The heavy, transparalite portholes of the _Star Queen_ were ruthlessly -pitted and chipped. Little pools of broken, shiny plastic lay on the -grass beneath them. It was as if each port had been struck a hundred -times with an axe. - -Captain Torkel and Lieutenant Washington and Fox closed in on Garcia -while Kelly stood smiling into the planet's sun. - -"Did you do it, Garcia?" asked the captain. "Did you kill Van Gundy?" - -Garcia still squatted on his haunches, dazed and staring. "I don't -know." - -"Did you try to smash the ports? Did Van Gundy try to stop you? Is that -why you killed him?" - -Garcia shook his head, bewildered. - -"Why did you get the pistol?" - -"I don't know." - -"Did you and Van Gundy fight?" - -No answer. - -"Don't you remember anything?" - -"I remember--" The engineer stopped, trembling. - -"Yes, what do you remember?" - -"I--I remember we decided not to go to the village, me and Van Gundy. -We started back to the rocket. Then--then I remember you saying for me -to give you the gun." - -Fox said, "He's crazy, almost like Kelly. Whatever happened has made -him almost crazy." - -"Try to remember, Garcia. We got to know what happened." - -"I can't remember." - -"Retrograde amnesia," said Lieutenant Washington. - -Captain Torkel finally voiced the thought that had taunted him ever -since the discovery of Van Gundy. "Garcia, were the Sirians here? Did -_they_ kill Van Gundy?" - -Garcia began to cry.... - - * * * * * - -They buried Van Gundy in the rich moist soil beneath the sea-blue sky -and the blood-red sun. They made a cross from the gnarled limbs of -forest trees and draped it with blue and yellow meadow flowers. In its -center they hung his harmonica and his jetman's medallion with its -silver-starred reproduction of the Big Dipper. - -Captain Torkel spoke into the silence, and over the cool meadow flowed -the words, "... Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of -death...." - -They put away the shovel. They gave Garcia a sedative and tucked him -into his bunk. They sat Kelly down in the grass and handed him a red -flower to play with. - -Then Captain Torkel and Lieutenant Washington and Fox stood gazing into -each other's eyes. - -"Say what you're thinking, Captain," said Lieutenant Washington. - -Captain Torkel sighed. "All right. It adds up. The Sirians can read -our minds. They know we want to bring our race here. They'll do most -anything to stop us. They attacked the rocket, tried to break the -ports. Garcia and Van Gundy tried to stop them. Van Gundy got killed, -and Garcia scared them away with the pistol." - -Lieutenant Washington squinted dubiously at the captain. "I can't -believe that. Why would they be so nice to us in the village?" - -"To keep us there as long as possible. To keep us away from the rocket." - -"They could have killed us in the village." - -"Maybe they really don't want to kill us--unless they have to. Maybe -they'd rather persuade us not to return to Earth." - -Fox grumbled, "You say maybe they don't like to kill. Then why would -they kill Van Gundy?" - -"Van Gundy was killed with his own knife. That looks like self-defense." - -Lieutenant Washington cleared his throat. "There's just one thing -wrong with your ideas. You say the Sirians are trying to bribe us into -staying here, trying to win us over by kindness. Now you say they -tried to smash the ports. If the Sirians are hostile in any way, they -wouldn't combine those two conflicting methods." - -Captain Torkel was silent for a moment. "The Sirians are an alien race. -Leadership seems to be an unknown concept to them, even though Taaleeb -unconsciously assumed a kind of leadership this afternoon. The point is -that the race isn't used to carrying out unified plans of procedure. -Taaleeb might have used _his_ method in the village, and another group -might have hit upon the plan of destroying the rocket." - - * * * * * - -Lieutenant Washington shook his head. "You're wrong, Captain. The -Sirians are good, innocent, child-like. Here's what happened: Garcia -liked to break things. He went wild and started to break the ports. Van -Gundy tried to stop him and got himself killed. The shock gave Garcia -amnesia." - -Fox tugged at his beard. "I bet you're right, Lieutenant, I bet that's -it." Eagerness rose in his tone. "How about tonight? Are we still going -to see our companions?" - -Captain Torkel spat. "You'd go to the village with Van Gundy's -grave-dirt still on your hands?" - -"We've been in a grave for six years. Is there any difference?" - -Captain Torkel ignored the question. "We _can't_ forget the people of -Earth!" he said suddenly. "We've got to start home now. Can't you see -what the Sirians are trying to do? They'll get us to stay here tonight, -then--" - -Lieutenant Washington snapped, "I told you I made up my mind, Captain. -You want to give us six--no, twelve more years of darkness and -loneliness and frustration. We won't take it. We'd be as mad as Kelly." - -"Right!" Fox slapped his fist into his open palm. "We've got no other -choice. We _got_ to stay here!" - -Captain Torkel's mouth became a hard, gray line. He stepped back, -spread his legs apart, withdrew his flame-pistol. "Get in the rocket!" -he burst. "That's an order!" - -Lieutenant Washington laughed contemptuously. - -The captain repeated, "Get in the rocket! I'm your captain. So help me, -I'll--" - -"You'll do nothing," spat the rock-faced lieutenant. "Can you -astrogate a rocket, Captain? Can you find your way back to Earth -alone? Can you keep those engines going without Garcia or dodge those -meteors without Fox? Go ahead and kill us. You might as well kill -yourself, too. How about it, Fox?" - -"Right," said Fox. - -"And you, Kelly?" - -"All," murmured Kelly. - -"This is mutiny!" screamed Captain Torkel. "You can't--" - -"We already have. Now get the hell away from here, Captain." - -Despair fell upon Captain Torkel. His head sagged. The flame-pistol -slipped from his fingers.... - - -VI - -The sun settled behind the forest horizon, its pale pink rays filtering -through the branches of trees and angling onto the cool meadow. The -glare was reflected by the silver rocket and by the cross above Van -Gundy's grave and by the small harmonica and the jetman's medallion. - -Captain Torkel stood alone before the grave. Laughter drifted faintly -from within the rocket. It was a lonely sound to Captain Torkel. -_You're really alone now_, he thought. _Apart from Earth, and now apart -from the men. You and Van Gundy._ - -To hell with it, he thought bitterly. Why not join the men? Why not -bathe and shave and smell of lotion and put on a clean white dress -uniform? Why not forget about an insignificant planet fifty trillion -miles away? - -He pivoted toward the rocket, toward the laughter and the happy, -getting-ready sounds. Then a small gust of wind sent Van Gundy's -medallion tinkling against the grave-cross. - -He paused. Through his mind passed a swirling vision of the people of -Earth: the silent children too frightened to play in the sunlight, the -white-faced women scanning the callous sky, the grim-lipped priests -chanting ceaseless prayers. Two billion souls wrapped in a shroud of -fear, counting off the swift seconds that carried them closer and -closer to oblivion. - -You can't force the men to go with you, he told himself. You can't make -them believe that the Sirians are dangerous. You've got to make them -_want_ to return to Earth. And once they get to the village, they're -lost. There's so little time.... - -He rubbed his chin. He was sure the Sirians had killed Van Gundy. If -only Garcia could remember-- - -Suddenly he straightened. - -Perhaps it was a blessing that Garcia did _not_ remember! - -Out of desperation that was like a prayer, a plan arose in his brain. -It expanded and crystallized, then faded as memory slipped away like -a rock under rising water. For a few moments he was a boy on a Dakota -wheat farm, staring down at a strange grave. - -Then the water receded; the rock remained. He was again Captain Torkel -and the plan lay like an opened flower in his thoughts. - -_Please, God, don't let me forget now. Let me keep my memory for a -while longer, just a little while longer._ - -His hand tight about his pistol, he strode across the meadow and -plunged into the singing forest. - -Rays from the sinking sun penetrated the foliage at intervals, creating -islands of rainbow brilliance in the semi-darkness. Leaves fluttered -above him. An orange-colored bird darted upward, releasing a cackle -that was like shrill, old-woman laughter. - -He moved slowly, hesitating, listening. - -Soon he heard the low voices of Sirians. He stepped off the forest -path, concealing himself in foliage. He tried to clear his mind so that -the natives would not receive a telepathic warning. - -The Sirians came nearer. - -Captain Torkel counted: one, two, three, four, five. The first, he saw, -was Taaleeb. - -Perfect, he thought. _Thank you, God._ - -He stepped out of the foliage. - -Taaleeb's features broke into a smile. "Good evening, our friend from -Earth-Star. We come to escort you back to our--" - -The smile died. Alarm flooded his face. - -Captain Torkel raised the pistol. "That won't be necessary. There's -been a change in plan." - -The Sirian's dark gaze speared into his skull. "Yes, I see," he -murmured.... - - * * * * * - -A few minutes later Captain Torkel returned to the meadow, the five -scowling Sirians herded before him. Each carried an uprooted grapevine. - -"You know what to do?" he asked, brandishing the pistol. - -"Your mind has told us," said Taaleeb sullenly. - -"I don't like to kill--no more than your people wanted to kill Van -Gundy. But, like you, I will if I have to." - -It seemed strange to Captain Torkel to see a snarl on Taaleeb's -handsome features. - -"You know everything," the Sirian muttered. "Your mind has guessed how -we think and what we have done. Yet you are a fool. You could have had -all I promised you--wine, food, happy nights!" - -"But the others--the ones who stoned the rocket--would they have let -you keep that promise?" - -Taaleeb digested the question for a moment. "Perhaps not. And perhaps -those others were wiser than Taaleeb. I see now that we should have -killed you. I am sorry we did not--but perhaps even now it is not too -late." His eyes were like dark, hot fires. - -They walked across the meadow. The darkness was deepening, crawling -like a hand over Van Gundy's grave. - -"The pistol will be in my pocket," Captain Torkel cautioned his -captives, "but it will be ready." - -The Sirians nodded. - -"And one more thing. _Smile._" - -The Sirians smiled. - -They reached the _Star Queen_ just as Lieutenant Washington and Fox -and Kelly were stepping out of the airlock. Garcia stood behind them, -sleepy-eyed, yawning off the effects of his sedative. The men stared -first at the Sirians, then at Captain Torkel. - -Lieutenant Washington said, threateningly, "Get out of here, Captain. -We've made our decision." - -"No," said Captain Torkel. "I'm going to join you. I'm going to the -village, too." - -"Hey!" exclaimed Fox. "He's going with us. Atta boy, Captain!" - -"_Why?_" asked the stern-faced lieutenant. - -"Because we won't have to return to Earth--not even if we wanted to. -The Sirians are going in our place." - -Garcia frowned. "Are you crazy, Captain?" - -"No, I was just wrong about the Sirians, Garcia. They're good people, -just like the lieutenant said. They like us. They want to help our -people--and they're going to take the _Star Queen_ back to Earth." - - * * * * * - -"That's impossible," spat Lieutenant Washington. "They're simple -natives. They're ignorant. They couldn't astrogate that ship." - -_Of course not_, thought the captain. _No more than we could sprout -wings and fly back to Earth._ - -He fought to keep his tone calm, convincing. "Why can't they? They're -telepaths. They've gotten all our knowledge from our minds. They can -be just as good in space as we are--maybe better. And they'll save -humanity. Right. Taaleeb?" - -"Right," said Taaleeb, smiling. - -"Wonderful!" said Fox, clapping his hands. "Let's go to the village." - -"But they haven't the intelligence," protested Lieutenant Washington. -"Captain, I think you're--" - -"Look at the way they've learned to talk our language. Doesn't that -indicate an extremely high intelligence?" - -"That's right," agreed Fox. "It does, Lieutenant. Let's go, Captain. -Ready?" - -Garcia edged forward, blinking the drowsiness from his eyes. "How about -Van Gundy, Captain? Who killed Van Gundy?" - -Captain Torkel started to speak. The lie stuck in his throat. He -telepathed, _You tell him, Taaleeb. You tell him the lie._ - -Taaleeb said, "You killed him, friend Garcia. We have looked into your -mind. We see what happened. You began to break the portholes. Friend -Van Gundy tried to stop you. He had knife, you took knife. You killed -him. You took the flame-weapon because you were afraid of what friend -captain might do." - -Garcia groaned. "God. Is that right, Captain? Is that what happened? -I--I can't remember." - -"I'm afraid so," sighed the captain. To himself, he said, _And I pray -you never remember._ - -Then he saw Taaleeb glancing anxiously toward the forest. How strong -was the Sirian telepathic sense? Strong enough to send to the village -for help? - -His fingers were hot and moist on the pistol in his pocket. He -struggled to put down the rising anxiety that threatened to overwhelm -him. - -"Taaleeb," he said, "better have your men take the vines aboard." - -"Yes," said Taaleeb, smiling. The Sirians carried the vines to the -airlock, laid them within. - -"What's the idea of that?" asked Lieutenant Washington. - -"It was their idea," the captain lied. "Those vines will grow rapidly -in our hydroponics tanks. They'll produce something like a bottle of -wine for each of them once a month. That'll be something to make their -trip a little more pleasant. And _that_ shows they're intelligent, -doesn't it?" - -He motioned toward the rocket. "The Sirians want to leave for Earth -now, men. Get whatever gear you want out of the ship." - -"They're leaving _now_?" asked Fox. - -"Of course. Tell them why, Taaleeb." - -The Sirian said, "Because, as your friend captain says, we must allow a -margin for error. Your sun may explode a day or two or three before the -predicted time. Even if it does not, we wish to see your world as much -as possible before its death." - - * * * * * - -Fox and Garcia started to enter the airlock. - -"Wait," said Lieutenant Washington. "I don't think I like this." - -Captain Torkel's heart pounded. _This may be it_, he thought. "What do -you mean?" he asked. - -"I mean, these Sirians will be heroes to humanity, won't they?" - -"I suppose so." - -"And they'll return here with our race, or what's left of it, in twelve -years?" - -"Yes, God willing." - -"Then what will our people think of _us_? What will they _do_ to us?" - -_This is it_, the captain told himself. He could feel blood pulsing -through his temples like drumbeats. "They won't like us for what we're -doing. That's a cinch. But there's no other solution. You wouldn't want -the Sirians _not_ to go, would you?" - -The lieutenant slowly shook his head. "No. Of course not." - -"No," chorused Fox and Garcia weakly. - -The lieutenant snapped, almost accusingly, "Then we'd be exiles from -our own people. They'd call us traitors." - -"Who cares?" said Fox. - -"_I_ care," grumbled the lieutenant. - -Captain Torkel turned to Garcia. "How do you feel about this? Would you -care?" - -Garcia wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "I wouldn't care -about _that_. To hell with it. But--" - -"Yes?" - -"I'm not sure if I like the idea of someone else doing my job for me. -I'm a good engineer. I'm forty years old, and no one's ever had to do -my job for me." - -The captain pursed his lips. "Well, I suppose you two could relieve two -of the Sirians and go to Earth while Fox and Kelly and I stay here." - -Lieutenant Washington snorted, "You've changed, Captain. You used to be -so damned anxious to get back to Earth. What's happened to you?" - - * * * * * - -The captain pretended to be in deep thought. "I suppose it's because it -was hard for me to make that decision not to go back to Earth. When I -did make it, it was a solid decision, one not easily changed. Besides, -you said yourself that we couldn't take another six or twelve years in -space, that we'd go mad." - -"But it's different now. We've gotten some of the madness out of us. I -haven't had a drink since this afternoon. Garcia's got rid of some of -his hatred. Maybe killing Van Gundy was like a kind of shock treatment -to him. And Fox--" - -"He's right," Fox interrupted him. "I'm going to stay here. Don't try -to talk me out of that. But I feel _cleaner_ inside. I guess when you -know that nobody'll stop you from stealing, you lose desire." - -"Even Kelly's better," said the lieutenant. "Look at the way he's been -talking." - -Captain Torkel nodded. "Yes, and my memory's been better these past -few hours. You know, men, I _do_ keep thinking of what Taaleeb said. -He said he wanted to see as much as possible of our world before its -death. If those predictions should turn out right, we'd have a whole -week to spend on Earth. I could see Dakota again, see the wheat and the -sky and the hills." - -Lieutenant Washington mused "And I could fly down to Louisiana, take -a look at Maine, too. Maybe put some flowers on Mom's grave, make her -ready to become warm again." - -Garcia said wistfully, "And we could see Monterey and the boats and -listen to the gulls. And maybe that old flower peddler Van Gundy knew -is still in Frisco. I bet Van Gundy'd like us to find out." He began to -laugh almost hysterically. - -"I'm going to stay here," declared Fox, "but we never thought of that -week, did we? We kept thinking of being in space for twelve unbroken -years. It wouldn't be that way at all." - -Captain Torkel asked, "Wouldn't you like to see Broadway again, Fox? -I'll bet they'll have it all lit up, all shining and proud and full of -life. Wouldn't you, Fox?" - -Fox gulped. Even in the gathering darkness, the captain saw tears in -his eyes. "I--yes, Captain. I guess I would." - -"And your wife, Fox?" - -Fox wiped his eyes. "I don't know." Then he jerked backward. "I just -thought of something. My wife'll be _here_ in twelve years. She'll make -the journey all right, make it if she has to take a rocket by herself -and hold it together with hairpins. She'll locate me, too. When she -finds out what I've--" - -Fox suddenly stood very straight and heroic. "Captain, I'm going back -to Earth--right now." - -"And I," said Lieutenant Washington deeply. - -"I _want_ to go," said Garcia, his voice cracking, "but I'm a murderer. -You don't want a murderer with you, do you?" - -Captain Torkel glanced nervously toward the forest. He wasn't sure, but -he thought he saw faint reflections of lights, and voices. - -"We need you, Garcia. You've got to take care of those engines. We'll -have a trial. Court is now in session. How do you plead?" - -"I--" - -"Guilty. Okay. Sentence suspended. Let's get aboard." - -He kept his hand in his pocket, tight about the pistol. To Taaleeb he -said, "Thanks, friend, but I guess we won't need your help after all." -He shot out the thought: _Keep smiling, fellow. Keep smiling until the -very last second._ - -Fox slapped Kelly's face to gain his attention. "Kelly, we're going -back to Earth. We're going home, back where your wife is. You want to -come along or stay here alone?" - -"Alone?" - -"Alone." - -"Kelly, Kelly--" - -"Where, Kelly? To the village or to Earth? Damn you, say it!" - -"Kelly go--Earth." - - * * * * * - -Captain Torkel leaned back in his crash-chair. The rocket shook under -the vibration of thundering atomic engines. He flicked a switch. -Acceleration began. - -"Brace yourselves, men! Earth, here we come!" - -Before the rising acceleration froze his movements, he snapped on the -starboard visi-screen. - -He stared only for a second. - -He stared at the mass of Sirians filtering out of the dark forest, -their sleek bodies illumined by the crimson glare from the jets and by -the trembling fires from their torches. - -They were like red devils, their faces contorted in rage and hatred -as they poured over the meadow. Captain Torkel shivered at the sight -of the knives, stones, clubs in upraised hands, at the savage mouths -spitting forth alien oaths. This was what mankind would meet when the -refugee ships began to land, twelve years hence.... But they had -twelve years to decide what to do about it. - -Then the image was swept away in space like a red stone falling into -the depths of a black pool. - -Captain Torkel turned off the screen. Acceleration pushed him deeper -and deeper into his chair. - -Soon the thunder of the jets faded, and there was silence. The -blackness of space pushed itself against the ports. Captain Torkel cut -the engines. - -"Beautiful Louisiana," said Lieutenant Washington in low, reverent -tones, "and lovely Maine." - -"Good old Broadway." - -"And the gulls and boats at Monterey." - -"And North Dakota." - -"Heaven," mumbled Kelly. - - -END - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of To Save Earth, by Edward W. 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