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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7cea222 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #60693 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/60693) diff --git a/old/60693-h.zip b/old/60693-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index afdabbb..0000000 --- a/old/60693-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60693-h/60693-h.htm b/old/60693-h/60693-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index f4afc4a..0000000 --- a/old/60693-h/60693-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1811 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" - "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> -<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> - <head> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=us-ascii" /> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> - <title> - The Project Gutenberg eBook of Growing Season, by F. 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Wallace. - </title> - <link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg" /> - - <style type="text/css"> - -body { - margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - - h1,h2 { - text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ - clear: both; -} - -p { - margin-top: .51em; - text-align: justify; - margin-bottom: .49em; -} - -hr { - width: 33%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 2em; - margin-left: 33.5%; - margin-right: 33.5%; - clear: both; -} - -hr.chap {width: 65%; margin-left: 17.5%; margin-right: 17.5%;} -hr.tb {width: 45%; margin-left: 27.5%; margin-right: 27.5%;} - -.center {text-align: center;} - -.right {text-align: right;} - -.caption {font-weight: bold;} - -/* Images */ -.figcenter { - margin: auto; - text-align: center; -} - -div.titlepage { - text-align: center; - page-break-before: always; - page-break-after: always; -} - -div.titlepage p { - text-align: center; - text-indent: 0em; - font-weight: bold; - line-height: 1.5; - margin-top: 3em; -} - -.ph1 { text-align: center; text-indent: 0em; font-weight: bold; } -.ph1 { font-size: large; margin: .83em auto; } - -.blockquot { - margin-left: 5%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - - - </style> - </head> -<body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Growing Season, by F. L. Wallace - -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: Growing Season - -Author: F. L. Wallace - -Release Date: November 15, 2019 [EBook #60693] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GROWING SEASON *** - - - - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/cover.jpg" width="344" height="500" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="titlepage"> - -<h1>Growing Season</h1> - -<h2>BY F. L. WALLACE</h2> - -<p class="ph1"><i>Why would anyone want to kill a tender<br /> -of mechanized vegetation—with, of all<br /> -things, a watch and a little red bird?</i></p> - -<p>[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from<br /> -Worlds of If Science Fiction, July 1959.<br /> -Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that<br /> -the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]</p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>The furry little animal edged cautiously toward him, ready to scamper -up a tree. But the kernel on the ground was tempting and the animal -grabbed it and scurried back to safety. Richel Alsint sat motionless, -enjoying himself greatly.</p> - -<p>Outside the park in every direction were many tiers of traffic. He was -the only person in the park; it was silent there except for birds. One -in particular he noticed, all body, or entirely wing—it was impossible -to say which at this distance—soared effortlessly overhead, a small -bundle of bright blue feathers. The wings, if it had wings, didn't -move at all; the bird balanced with remarkable skill on air currents. -Everything about it might be small, but the voice wasn't, and it made -good use of every note.</p> - -<p>Alsint twisted his hand slowly toward the sack beside him.</p> - -<p>In that position the ship watch was visible. There was no need to look; -it was connected to the propulsion processes of the ship and would -signal long before he had to be back. Nevertheless he did glance at it.</p> - -<p>In sudden alarm, he jumped up, scattering the contents of the sack. -The circle of animals fled into the underbrush and the birds stopped -singing and flew away.</p> - -<p>He left everything on the bench. It was untidy, but his life would be -more untidy if he missed the ship. He ran to the aircar parked in the -clearing and fumbled at the door. The bright blue bird was changing to -red, but he didn't notice that.</p> - -<p>He bounced the car straight up, sinking into the cushions with the -acceleration. High above the regular levels of traffic, he located the -spaceport in the distance and jammed the throttle forward. The ship was -there, and as long as it was, he had a chance. Not much, though. The -absence of activity on the ground indicated they were getting ready.</p> - -<p>He dropped the aircar down as close as he could get and left it. There -was no time to take the underground passage that came up somewhere near -the ship. The guard at the surface gate stopped him.</p> - -<p>"You're too late," said the attendant.</p> - -<p>"I've got to get in!" Alsint said.</p> - -<p>The guard recognized the uniform, but, sitting in the heavily -reinforced cubicle, made no move to press the button which would allow -the gate to swing open. It was a high gate and there was no way to get -over it.</p> - -<p>He grinned sourly. "Next time you'll pay attention to the signal."</p> - -<p>There were worse times and places to argue about it, but Alsint -couldn't remember them. "There wasn't any signal," he said. He caught -the cynical expression on the guard's face and extended his hand. "See -for yourself."</p> - -<p>The watch was working, indicating time till takeoff, but the -unmistakable glow and the irritating tingle, guaranteed to wake any man -out of a sleep this side of the final one, were missing.</p> - -<p>The guard blinked. "Never heard of that ever happening," he said. "Tell -you what—I'll testify that it wasn't your fault. That'll clear you. -You can get a job on the next ship and catch up with your own in a -month at the most."</p> - -<p>It wasn't that easy, nor so simple. Alsint glanced frantically at the -watch. Minutes left now, though he couldn't be sure. If the signal -wasn't functioning, maybe the time was wrong too. "I'll never get on -that one again," he said. "It's a tag ship."</p> - -<p>The guard scrutinized him more closely, differentiating his uniform -from others similar to it. "In that case you'd better go to the traffic -tower," he said reluctantly. "They'll stop it for you."</p> - -<p>They would, but he'd waste half an hour getting past the red tape at -the entrance. There were a number of reasons why he couldn't let the -ship leave without him. "I know our crew," he said. "They'll be waiting -for me. Let me try to get on."</p> - -<p>The guard shrugged. "It's your funeral." Slowly the gate swung open.</p> - -<p>Alsint dashed through. He had to hurry, but it wasn't as dangerous as -the guard imagined. The watch had failed, but inside the ship was a -panel which indicated the presence or absence of any crew member. That -panel was near the pilot. He wouldn't take off without clearing it.</p> - -<p>Besides, there was standard takeoff procedure—always someone at the -visionport, watching for latecomers, of which there were usually a -few. Alsint raised his head as he ran. He couldn't see anyone at the -visionport.</p> - -<p>Breathing heavily, he brushed against the ship. Late, but not too late. -He turned the corner at the vane.</p> - -<p>He didn't like what he saw. The ramp was up and the outer lock was -closed. They were waiting for clearance from the spaceport.</p> - -<p>His composure slipped a little. If the clearance came within the next -few minutes, he'd be dead. Not that the clearance would come. A ship -just didn't lift off, leaving one of the crew behind—or he hoped it -didn't.</p> - -<p>He pounded on the lock and shouted, though it was useless. Inside, they -couldn't hear him. The noise frightened a little red bird which had -been hovering nearby. It flew around his head, squawking shrilly.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Alsint scowled at it. It reminded him unpleasantly of the park. If he -hadn't gone there, he'd be safe inside the ship. True, parks were rare, -and people who went to them even more rare. After so many months in the -ship, it had been a great temptation—for him, not the others. No one -else had been interested.</p> - -<p>Now he had to get in. A tremor ran through the hull and he realized how -urgent it was. A little more of this and he would be caught under the -rockets.</p> - -<p>The airlock was smooth, but he located the approximate latching point -on the outside and stripped off the watch, holding it against the ship -by the band. He tried to remember and thought the face should be turned -inward. He held it that way and hoped he was right. He closed his eyes -and swung hard with his fist.</p> - -<p>His hand exploded with pain and he could feel the flash on his face. -The energy, which was sufficient to drive the instrument for a thousand -years, dissipated in much less than a second. An instant later the hand -which held the strap reacted to the heat. He dropped the useless watch -and opened his eyes.</p> - -<p>He had figured it right and he was also lucky. The energy had turned -inward, as he had hoped, otherwise he'd have no hand, and the latching -mechanism had been destroyed. The resulting heat had buckled the plate -outward. The hull was trembling with greater violence as the takeoff -rockets warmed up.</p> - -<p>The airlock was still very hot. His fingers sizzled as he grasped the -curled edge and pulled out. It moved a little. He shifted his hands for -a better grip and heaved. It opened.</p> - -<p>He scrambled inside and shut it behind him, latching it with the -emergency device. Close, but it didn't matter as long as he'd made it. -The ship began to rise and the acceleration forced him to kneel in the -passageway between the outer and inner lock. He kept thinking of the -little red bird he'd seen outside. Burned, no doubt, as he would have -been.</p> - -<p>Finally the rockets stopped and the heaviness disappeared. They were -out of the atmosphere and hence the ship had shifted to interstellar -drive. The heat from the rockets began to abate. He was grateful for -that.</p> - -<p>He got to his feet and staggered to the inner lock and leaned against -it. That didn't open, either. He shouted. It might take time, but -eventually someone would come close enough to hear him.</p> - -<p>There was air in the passageway and he knew he could survive. It had -been too hot; now it was getting cold. He shivered and shook his head -in bewilderment.</p> - -<p>None of this was the way it ought to be. It had never been difficult to -get on the ship. If he didn't know better, he'd say—</p> - -<p>But this was not the time to say that.</p> - -<p>He didn't hear the footsteps on the other side. The lock swung in and -he fell forward. His burned hands were too cold to hurt as he checked -his fall.</p> - -<p>Scantily clad, Larienne stood over him. "Playing hiding games?" she -asked. She got a better look and knelt by his side. "You're hurt!"</p> - -<p>So he was, but mostly he was tired. In the interval before he accepted -the luxury of unconsciousness, the thought flashed across his mind -before he could disown it: Someone on the ship was trying to take the -plant away, or wanted him to fail.</p> - -<p>Either would have been accomplished if he had been left behind.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>He sat in his room, thinking. He wished he knew more about the crew. -Six months was enough to give him wide acquaintance, but not the deep -kind. They were a clannish lot on the ship. His own assistant he knew -well enough, and the doctor. The captain he hardly ever saw. The rest -of them he knew by sight and name, but not much else: the few married -couples, the legally unattached girls, and the larger number of male -technicians.</p> - -<p>None of them, as far as he could see, had any incentive to engineer the -mixup which had nearly caused him to miss the ship. Of course he might -be reading into it more than was there. It could have happened that way -accidentally. And then maybe it didn't.</p> - -<p>His thoughts were interrupted by a knock. "Who's there?" he called.</p> - -<p>Larienne walked in. "Nobody asks <i>who</i>," she said. "It's always <i>come -in</i>. Even I know that, and I've been on this traveling isolation ward -a mere three years."</p> - -<p>She dropped into a chair and draped her legs, long legs that were worth -showing off. She had a certain air of impartiality that attracted -attention. She was smart, though, and knew when to discard impartiality.</p> - -<p>She eyed him curiously. "I'm trying to discover the secret of your -popularity. That damn plant is pining for you."</p> - -<p>"It's not me," he said. "You have to know how to handle it."</p> - -<p>"Thanks," she said dryly. "I don't know how. But Richel Alsint, boy -plant psychologist, does. He knows when to increase the circulation, -when to give it an extra shot of minerals, and when, on the other hand, -to scare the damn thing out of its wits, which I sometimes believe it -actually has."</p> - -<p>"Don't personalize it," he warned. "It's partly plant and partly a -machine. Your mistake is that you treat it as if it were wholly a -machine."</p> - -<p>"Seems to me I've heard that before. What should I do that I don't?"</p> - -<p>"Cycles," he said. "Rhythm. A machine doesn't need that kind of -treatment, but a plant does. Normally it starts as a seed, grows to -maturity, produces more seeds, and eventually dies. Our plant isn't -like that, of course. It never produces seeds, and, if we're careful, -doesn't die. Yet it does have something that faintly corresponds to -the original cycles."</p> - -<p>She sighed. "It might help if I knew what it was—geranium, or -sunflower, or whatever."</p> - -<p>He had told her, but apparently she didn't want to remember. "It isn't -one plant. It's been made from hundreds; even I don't know what they -were. One best feature from this, another strong feature from something -else. We've taken plants apart and recombined them into something new. -This is just—plant."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Larienne dropped her legs to a more comfortable if less esthetic -position. "Hydroponics was simpler," she objected.</p> - -<p>"It was," he said. "And if you want to know, old-fashioned dirt farming -was even simpler. Our combination plant and machine is merely a step -and a half ahead of hydroponics."</p> - -<p>"Suppose you come out and tell me what I've done wrong," she said, -getting up.</p> - -<p>"One last thing," he said. "Remember that plants evolved on planets. -No matter what we do, we can't convince the plant that it's still -on a planet. Light's the easiest. As far as we know, it will grow -indefinitely under our artificial light. Artificial gravity is -different. I don't know the difference, and neither do the physicists, -but the plant does. It can live in the ship just so long and then has -to be taken out for a rest. There are other things that affect it, -vibration, noise, and maybe more. You know how I have to keep after the -pilot to dampen his drive. All these things change the cycle it has to -have."</p> - -<p>"Agreed," she said impatiently, meaning mostly that she didn't care. -"Let's go out and look at it."</p> - -<p>The plant was a machine and the machine was a plant. It occupied -a large space in the center of the ship. And it wasn't wasted -space; properly cared for, the plant could supply food for the crew -indefinitely.</p> - -<p>The plant machine evolved from earlier attempts to convert raw material -and energy into food. Originally algae were used because they were -hardy and simple to control. But the end product had to be processed -and algae did not produce the full scale of nutrients in the proper -proportion for the human diet.</p> - -<p>Certain cells of more highly evolved plants were far more efficient in -the conversion of raw materials into proteins, vitamins and the like. -Originally, inedible parts were produced too, the stalk, which might or -might not be used for food, and the leaves and roots. On a planet with -plenty of room, this made little difference. But on an overcrowded -planet, or one with a poisonous atmosphere, and especially on a ship -where space was at a premium, normal methods could not be used.</p> - -<p>In the plant machine were certain cells which had been selected because -of their ability to produce a variety of nutrients. The inedible parts -of the plant were replaced by machinery. Instead of roots to draw water -and minerals from the soil, there were pumps and filters. Instead of -stems to elevate that material to the leaves, there were hoses. Instead -of entire leaves to perform photosynthesis, there were only those cells -most efficient at the process. There were no seeds, tubers, roots, nor -fleshy stalks to store the food. Collecting trays replaced them. There -was no waste space; nothing was produced that couldn't be eaten.</p> - -<p>There was an additional problem of reconciling the various cell fluids -and different rates of growth. In part, that was accomplished by the -plant machinery; the rest depended on the plant mechanic. His job was -akin to that of a factory manager. In a sense, the plant machine was -nothing more than a highly organized and complex factory, of which the -productive units were the actual cells.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Alsint went along the aisles. Dials and gauges everywhere—a continuous -record was kept of every stage. Each record was important, but nothing -that could be reduced to a formula. The plant was not in bad shape, -considering. At his instructions, Larienne made certain adjustments.</p> - -<p>"Why reduce the light?" she asked. "I thought this unit grew better -with stronger light."</p> - -<p>"It does, within limits."</p> - -<p>"I was within those limits."</p> - -<p>"You were, but consider this. The plant from which these cells came -grow fastest in early summer, but it isn't edible at that time. In -late summer, it is. The light change merely corresponds to original -conditions."</p> - -<p>Partly convinced, she nodded. "What kind of plant was it?"</p> - -<p>He smiled. "I don't know. It's the nth cellular descendant of some -plant that once grew on Earth."</p> - -<p>She touched a dial she had adjusted. "And on this one you reduced the -fluid flow into it, and switched the output to another unit I've never -seen it connected to."</p> - -<p>"Same thing. The input corresponds to the difference between the dry -and rainy seasons."</p> - -<p>"But things grow faster with more water."</p> - -<p>"They do, unless it happens to be a cactus."</p> - -<p>She shook her head. "I give up. Cactus yet."</p> - -<p>"I didn't say it was cactus. It might be, and, if so, could be very -efficient in preparing water and soil minerals for use by the leaves. -There aren't any leaves, of course, but that doesn't change the -principle."</p> - -<p>"Don't think I'll ever understand it," she said. "Enough to get by, but -not the way you do."</p> - -<p>She stood at his side. It was pleasant to have her there. Other things -were pleasant to imagine too, but he refrained. There were married -couples on the ship, just as there were unattached men and women. But -when the men outnumbered the women three to one, certain conclusions -were inevitable, and he had made them the first few days aboard. Unlike -many of the others, he didn't expect to stay on the ship forever. In a -year and a half he would either prove his point or fail.</p> - -<p>Then he would leave. Would Larienne come with him? Maybe, but it wasn't -a good bet. A liaison, no matter how easy it was to enter into, was not -always easy to break. There would be time to decide about that later.</p> - -<p>"Is everything all right?" she asked.</p> - -<p>He glanced over the dials and mentally added them up. "Reasonably so. -Yes."</p> - -<p>"Good," she said. "Unless you need me sooner, I'll be back in about ten -hours."</p> - -<p>He nodded and she left. It was unnecessary to ask where she was going. -He could tell that from her manner. They had raised a hitherto unmarked -solar system and she was helping tag it.</p> - -<p>His injured hands were aching with the effort, though Larienne had -done most of the actual work. He started toward his room, and then, on -another thought, turned into the dispensary. Franklan he knew better -than anyone except Larienne, and he might get a fresh viewpoint from -him.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Franklan was waiting. He had a doctor's degree from some planet, but -on the ship titles were largely ignored. "The wounded hero comes back, -holding our food supply precariously in his skilled hands," he said as -Alsint entered.</p> - -<p>The sarcasm was not altogether friendly, Alsint decided. Without -comment, he laid his hands on the table. He did not pretend to be a -hero and he was not even particularly stubborn. He had put together a -plant in a better way, one that ought to withstand the rigors of tag -ship service, and he intended to see that it got a fair trial.</p> - -<p>"What do you know about ship watches?" he asked cautiously.</p> - -<p>"Fifteen years on a tag ship, and I've never personally seen a failure. -I suppose it can happen." Franklan glanced up. "It's too bad you had -to destroy yours to get in. I'd like to see what an examination by our -technicians would show."</p> - -<p>The same thought that he had, though Franklan seemed to have attached -the opposite meaning to it. "Interesting, isn't it?" Alsint said -evenly. "But I was thinking of the connection it has to the crew panel."</p> - -<p>Franklan bit his lip. "I hadn't considered that."</p> - -<p>"I have. The pilot had to check the crew panel before he could take -off. If he did, and saw that I was missing, why didn't he wait? If he -didn't see that I wasn't inside the ship, then the panel was defective -too. It's hard to believe."</p> - -<p>Franklan filled a small tank with fluid and motioned toward it. -Alsint dipped his hands in. It stung, but he could see that it had a -pronounced healing effect.</p> - -<p>Franklan was watching him narrowly. "Service on a tag ship is -voluntary. It has to be, considering all the solitude we have to take. -Any man can withdraw any time he wants. A lot of them do, especially in -the first three years. However, bear this in mind. You've practically -accused someone on the ship of trying to leave you behind. I know you -do think that. And if you can produce evidence, I'll believe you. But -there is one person on whom suspicion will fall first."</p> - -<p>That was what Alsint wanted to hear. He'd gone over it in his mind and -couldn't find anyone to suspect. Any clue was welcome.</p> - -<p>"Who?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"You," said Franklan. "If <i>I</i> wanted to leave the tag ship service, I'd -see to it that I made as graceful an exit as possible. Forced out by an -accident, of course. I'd want to tell people that."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>He might have expected that kind of attitude. Franklan was proud of the -work he was associated with. Nothing wrong with that; everyone had that -right. In fact, if he didn't, he had no business doing it.</p> - -<p>However, it made things difficult for Alsint. He was on a tag ship -for other reasons. He had evolved several strains of plant cells that -should be especially suited for use on tag ships.</p> - -<p>For some reason the plants on tag ships were always dying. Ships -returned to inhabited planets for refueling with the machines intact -but with the plants dead. The plant cells had to be replaced. It was -not that the actual material was expensive. It wasn't. But the process -of getting the strange cells to work together as a new unit was -time-consuming and enormously costly. That was where the trouble came. -The plant couldn't be fitted together like an engine.</p> - -<p>Alsint had evolved cells that were far more viable, but the only way to -test that was in actual use. He had received permission from the Bureau -of Exploration to install his plant in a ship and try it for two years. -If at the end of that time the plant was still alive, he had something -really worthwhile. The only stipulation was that no one on the ship -should know that it was a test, since they might, out of consideration -for him, modify the service the ship normally went through. It had to -be a true rough, tough test.</p> - -<p>And he was getting it, in more ways than he had expected. Unless he -could stay with his plant for the next year and a half, all his work -would go for nothing.</p> - -<p>He drew his hands out of the fluid. "Do you think I'm trying to run -out?" he asked quietly. He had proof that he wasn't, but he couldn't -use it.</p> - -<p>Franklan shrugged. "Honestly, I don't. But I'm not blinding myself -to what the others will think." He squinted professionally at the -burns and dried the hands with a gentle blast of air. He picked up a -large tube and squeezed a substance on them which was absorbed almost -instantly. "There. You'll be all right in a few days."</p> - -<p>"Thanks," Alsint said laconically and stood up.</p> - -<p>As he went out the door, Franklan called after him. "If I see the -captain, I'll tell him I don't think you tried to jump ship. I doubt -that he'll ask. As I said, service on this ship is voluntary."</p> - -<p>Personally, Alsint didn't care what Franklan told the captain. However, -he was at a definite disadvantage. Next time they came to a planet, if -he were to disappear, nobody would be overly inquisitive.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The tagging operation was far from complete—seven planets in the -system and each had to be thoroughly investigated. Long-range -investigation, of course. A tag ship rarely landed, and then only -when the planet under consideration seemed extremely desirable for -colonization, enough to warrant closer observation.</p> - -<p>It didn't matter whether it had a breathable atmosphere or not, whether -it was ice-bound or blazing hot. These were minor difficulties and -engineering ingenuity could overcome them. There were other criteria, -and it was for these that they were checked.</p> - -<p>Alsint went out into the ship. There was a lot of activity, but much -of it was invisible, electronic in nature, affecting only instruments. -The ship had slipped into an orbit, the plane of which intersected the -axis of planetary revolution at the most effective angle. The ship went -around twice while the planet revolved three times. In that period the -mineral resources were plotted and the approximate quantities of each -were determined.</p> - -<p>Larienne looked up as he came near. "This is a real find," she said -cheerfully.</p> - -<p>"I suppose you've located the heavy stuff," he said, knowing that it -was a superfluous statement.</p> - -<p>"What else would we look for?" She bent over the small torpedo shape -she was working on. "Not just one, either. This is the second planet in -the system with enough heavy elements to be worth settling."</p> - -<p>"What's the gravity?" He didn't always share the enthusiasm others had -for their discoveries.</p> - -<p>"The first was 1.6. This is about 2.3. A little high for personal -comfort, but with the mineral resources there, the settlers can manage."</p> - -<p>"What about atmosphere?"</p> - -<p>"The first hasn't much, frozen mostly. This one has chlorine in it." -She grinned at him. "Your old theme, huh?"</p> - -<p>It was an old theme, though he didn't argue it. He was entitled to -personal reactions. "Maybe. Would you like to live on either of them?"</p> - -<p>"Don't have to," she said, making an adjustment on the torpedo. "Never -get out on a planet more than twice a year. In fact, I've almost -forgotten what a year means."</p> - -<p>That was the point, possibly, though there was no use to discuss it. -"Anything else of interest?"</p> - -<p>"We're coming to a smaller planet. Land, oceans, warm enough, and with -an atmosphere we can probably breathe as is. Don't know the composition -of the solid matter yet, but from our mass reading, it's a good bet -that there won't be enough heavy stuff to justify settlement." She made -a final delicate adjustment on the torpedo and began wheeling it to a -launching tube. "This one's in a rich system, though, and will probably -be used as an administration planet—vacation spot too. It won't go to -waste, if that is what's worrying you."</p> - -<p>In a way, it was. It was too bad that so many planets that were -otherwise ideal for human habitation had to be passed over because -they lacked the one essential. There was no help for it, of course. To -settle planets, spaceships were necessary—and heavy elements to drive -those ships. Nothing else mattered in the least.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Larienne snapped the torpedo in place and pressed a stud. The dark -shape disappeared. Out in space, it fell into an orbit which -eventually would land it safely on the planet.</p> - -<p>"There," she said with quiet satisfaction. "It's tagged, and it will -stay tagged until somebody digs it up."</p> - -<p>It might be a month, or a hundred years, before Colonization got around -to it. Meanwhile the torpedo was there, broadcasting at intervals the -information that the tag ship had discovered. Somewhere in a remote -planning center, a new red dot appeared in a three-dimensional model of -space, to be accounted for in a revised program of expansion.</p> - -<p>Larienne brushed the hair out of her eyes. There was a smudge on her -face. "I'm busy," she said. "But I can get out of this if you need me."</p> - -<p>As long as she was more interested in what she was doing, he'd rather -not have her. He shook his head. "I'll manage," he said, and headed -toward the plant.</p> - -<p>The instant he entered, something seemed wrong. He couldn't say what it -was without investigation. It was a big complex machine as well as a -plant, and even reading all the dials was not enough; visual inspection -was necessary too. He started at one end and worked toward the other. -The gauges indicated nothing out of the ordinary, but the plant was in -bad condition.</p> - -<p>It was something like a tree, the trunk and leaves of which were sound -enough, no discernible injuries, but nevertheless dying. At the roots, -of course. This plant had no roots, merely a series of tanks and trays, -each connected to others in a bewilderingly complex fashion. In that -series, though, was something which corresponded to roots.</p> - -<p>He was near the end of the first row before he spotted part of the -trouble. A flow-control valve was far out of adjustment. His hands were -bandaged and clumsy, but he tried to reset it. It was jammed tight and -he couldn't move it.</p> - -<p>He could call Larienne, but she was busy. So was the rest of the crew. -With sufficient leverage he could turn the valve. He looked around for -something he could use. A small metal bar leaning against the wall -nearby seemed adequate.</p> - -<p>He picked it up—and the bar burned into the bandages. He knew what it -was; he didn't have to think. He could hear the sparks as well as feel -it. Fortunately his shoes were not good conductors and not much of the -charge got through.</p> - -<p>With an effort he relaxed his convulsive grip, and still the bar stayed -in his hand. It had fused to the bandage and he couldn't shake it off. -The bar was glowing red; only the relatively nonconductive properties -of the bandage—heat as well as electricity—had prevented his instant -electrocution. And the bar was sinking deeper into the bandage. If it -ever touched his flesh, the charge would be dissipated—through his -body.</p> - -<p>He had to ground it. The metal tanks which held the plant would do -that, but also crisp the plant beyond salvage. He had to make a fast -choice.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Holding the bar at arm's length, he ran through the aisle, and, at the -far end, thrust it against the side of the ship.</p> - -<p>The resulting flash staggered him, but he stayed on his feet. Though -the metal began cooling rapidly, it remained fused to the bandage. He -laid one end on the floor and stepped on it, tearing it loose.</p> - -<p>It was a plain metal bar, made into a superconductor, with an unholy -charge stored in it. This couldn't be an accident. It took work to -turn ordinary metal into a superconductor at room temperature. Also it -couldn't be placed just anywhere. If the charge were to remain in it, a -special surface had to be prepared.</p> - -<p>The trap had been set up for him, and he had walked into it. The -bandage had saved him, nothing else. That was the one thing the -unknown person hadn't taken into account.</p> - -<p>Who? Larienne? She had access to the plant. But so did anyone else, -just by walking in.</p> - -<p>Not Larienne. She had her ugly moments and might try to kill him in a -fit of anger, but she wouldn't plan it coldly, nor go through with the -scheme if she planned it. It didn't take special knowledge to sabotage -the plant. Any control could be moved drastically and the plant would -suffer. The only technical knowledge required was that of making the -bar into a superconductor, and that knowledge she didn't have. True, -she could ask someone to do it for her. But she wouldn't.</p> - -<p>Alsint sat down. The actual physical damage from the electrical shock -wasn't great. The certainty that someone had tried to kill him was.</p> - -<p>Why? Violent personal hatred for himself he could rule out. He'd -been careful in his contacts with the crew. Only a psychotic could -manufacture a reason to hate him, and psychotics didn't last long on a -tag ship.</p> - -<p>It had to be connected to the plant. Someone on the ship was trying to -take it away from him, or one of his competitors had hired one of the -crew to see that he didn't survive. The last was unlikely.</p> - -<p>He had no proof that his plant was better, merely a belief that it -was. It seemed illogical that anyone would want to eliminate him on the -strength of an untested belief.</p> - -<p>But except for Larienne, no one had enough knowledge to nurse the plant -along for the required two years. Unless he remained alive, no one -would benefit.</p> - -<p>He shook his head. It was difficult to add up and arrive at a sensible -answer. One thing he knew, though—hereafter, he'd have to be on his -guard at all times.</p> - -<p>He could go to the captain with his story. He considered and rejected -that in the same instant. He'd have to tell the captain everything, -which would invalidate the test. He'd have to handle this by himself.</p> - -<p>He got up and continued his inspection of the plant, making minor -adjustments to compensate for the damage. Except for that one valve, -nothing seemed far out of line.</p> - -<p>That done, he limped to the dispensary. His hand was aching where he -had torn the bar loose and ripped the flesh.</p> - -<p>"Back again?" said Franklan. "Any new information on the enemy?"</p> - -<p>By itself, that was a suspicious statement. How could he know about -the latest incident? The easiest answer was that he didn't. He was -referring to the time Alsint had nearly missed the ship.</p> - -<p>"Not a thing," Alsint muttered. Unless he wanted to reinforce -Franklan's original opinion, he'd better keep this to himself.</p> - -<p>Franklan looked at his hand. "Whatever you've done, I don't recommend -it. It's not the way to get well fast—or at all."</p> - -<p>"Grabbed something hot," Alsint said. Might as well say that. The bar -was now just a bar and no examination would reveal that it had been a -superconductor. Same with the insulation it had rested on. He couldn't -prove anything.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Franklan rattled the instruments. "Nothing serious. This'll heal on -schedule, but it's going to hurt while I fix it." He administered a -local anesthetic below the elbow.</p> - -<p>It made Alsint dizzy. He sat down and closed his eyes while Franklan -worked. He relaxed more than he intended and then deliberately opened -his eyes because he was drowsy and didn't want to fall asleep.</p> - -<p>Over Franklan's shoulder, behind the window that swung out from the -dispensary to the corridor, was a little red bird. It was much like -the one that had fluttered around as he had tried to get on the ship. -Perhaps it had come in with him and hidden in some quiet place until -now. It was possible.</p> - -<p>Franklan looked up. "What are you staring at?"</p> - -<p>Alsint's tongue was fuzzy. "Outside the window behind you is a little -red bird," he said, speaking distinctly to overcome the side-effects of -the anesthesia.</p> - -<p>Franklan went on swabbing, not bothering to glance behind him. "You're -tired," he said. "And look again at that bird outside the window. For -my sake, tell it to put on a spacesuit. If it doesn't, it will die in a -matter of seconds."</p> - -<p>Startled, Alsint looked around. He was mixed up in his directions. He -was facing the visionport, plain empty space, not the corridor.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus.jpg" width="650" height="311" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>He blinked his eyes frantically, but the bird wouldn't go away and it -didn't die. There was no air out there, millions of miles from the -nearest planet. The bird flapped its wings in the airless space and -went through the motions of singing.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>It was ridiculous. There was nothing to carry the sound. But he -could imagine hearing it anyway, through the thick armorglass of the -visionport—a bird singing in space.</p> - -<p>Resolutely he closed his eyes and kept them closed. He had enough -trouble without taking on hallucinations.</p> - -<p>Franklan finished the new bandage and tapped his shoulder. "You can -come out of it now."</p> - -<p>Alsint tried not to, but he couldn't resist. He stared past Franklan -toward the visionport.</p> - -<p>"Is it gone?" asked Franklan. His voice was quiet.</p> - -<p>"It's gone," Alsint said in relief.</p> - -<p>"Good. These things happen occasionally. As long as you can adjust back -to reality, you have nothing to worry about." Franklan rummaged through -the medical supplies. "Take these. They may help you."</p> - -<p>Wordlessly, Alsint took the packet and went back to his room. He was -sweating and shaken.</p> - -<p>Franklan hadn't seen it because he hadn't looked, but there had been a -bird out there, or there hadn't. If not, Alsint's contact with reality -was precarious and he'd have to watch himself. Franklan had hinted at -that. Maybe he wanted Alsint to believe it.</p> - -<p>But it didn't mean there hadn't been an actual bird. It could be put -there in a plastic bubble that wasn't visible against the blackness of -space. If so, it was an ingenious way of harassing him.</p> - -<p>He relaxed at that formulation. It hadn't been worth the effort, -but it did prove one thing—his unknown antagonist had an excellent -imagination.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Time passed—days, perhaps, though that unit had little meaning on the -ship. It was the work period which counted and nobody had bothered to -tell him how long that was. The last planet of the system was analyzed -and the permanent markers sent down. The star was tagged and the ship -proceeded on its way.</p> - -<p>What the destination was, Alsint didn't know and didn't inquire. They -were going somewhere, to uncatalogued stars, and that was enough to -know.</p> - -<p>His hands healed and the bandages were removed. Larienne was reassigned -to help him. The rest of the crew, whatever they guessed, or sensed, -said nothing and the normal pattern of life on the tag ship seemed -re-established.</p> - -<p>His anxiety faded. It was not, he was sure, the end of the attempts to -remove him, but he had time to think, to plan countermeasures.</p> - -<p>He was not wholly prepared. He and Larienne were approaching the plant. -The door was open and he could see inside. He glanced casually at the -row on row of mechanism, and stopped.</p> - -<p>"What's the matter?" asked Larienne.</p> - -<p>He moistened his lips. "Go around to the other side and close the door. -Be quiet about it, but close the door quickly."</p> - -<p>She stared at him curiously and started to go inside.</p> - -<p>He grabbed her arm. "Around, I said. Not through."</p> - -<p>She shrugged and went around. In time he could see the other door -close. Then she came back.</p> - -<p>"What's inside?" she whispered, adopting his own attitude.</p> - -<p>"Something I want you to see."</p> - -<p>She peered in. "I can't see anything."</p> - -<p>"It's out of the line of vision now, but it's still in there." He swung -the door nearly shut. "Inside, fast. I'll show you."</p> - -<p>Obediently she went in and he followed, closing the door behind him. -She waited.</p> - -<p>"The bird," he said. "I want you to verify that it is in here."</p> - -<p>"Bird?" She was puzzled and dismayed. "How did a bird get in here?"</p> - -<p>"I don't know. I'll figure that out later." There was no need to -whisper, since it couldn't escape; nevertheless he did. "It's a -psychological stunt. The best way to stop it is to catch the bird."</p> - -<p>She drew away uncertainly. "You saw it in here?"</p> - -<p>"I did, and I want you to be with me when I find it."</p> - -<p>"Then we should make a lot of noise. It will fly up if it's frightened."</p> - -<p>"Good. You take that aisle and I'll take this. Yell when you see it."</p> - -<p>They separated. He hunted carefully, moving everything that could be -moved, looking for the flash of red wings. The bird was shy and had -hidden.</p> - -<p>They met in the center aisle.</p> - -<p>In answer to his unspoken query, she shook her head. "I didn't see it."</p> - -<p>"It's here," he said stubbornly. "I can't be mistaken."</p> - -<p>She started to say something and changed her mind. "Let's look again," -she suggested. It was not what she intended to say. What she thought -was plain from the expression on her face.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Again they went through the plant machine, searching. Every crevice, -every hidden corner was examined. He peered into the machinery, the -tanks and the trays, above and below. They looked, but there was no -bird.</p> - -<p>Larienne stood beside him and glanced up at the ceiling. "Maybe it got -out through the ventilators."</p> - -<p>"It couldn't," he said harshly. The ventilators were also filters; a -microbe would have difficulty getting through. She was trying to give -him a way out, but he couldn't take it.</p> - -<p>The room in which the plant machine was housed was not a simple open -space; there was structure throughout. But it was inconceivable that -something as large as a bird, even a small bird, could escape detection.</p> - -<p>"I'll take care of the plant," he said quietly. "I want to think."</p> - -<p>She left. He knew how she felt. It was worse because she did feel that -way.</p> - -<p>He had scored against himself. Larienne would say nothing to the rest -of the crew, but it would come out. Emotional reactions couldn't be -hidden. And if there was ever an inquiry, she'd have to tell her story.</p> - -<p>Franklan would see that there was an inquiry. That was his job. There -was nothing particularly arduous about life on a tag ship, yet not -everyone was suited to it. Monotony—and each person had to adjust to -the others as well as the ship. There was no room for a person who saw -things.</p> - -<p>It was a most effective attack, without danger for the man or men -behind it. Twice he had seen something that wasn't there, and there -were witnesses to testify against him. It would be enough to remove -him from the ship. The subsequent treatment wouldn't harm him, but the -ship would be gone and he'd never get back on. Tag ships were just too -unpredictable; they came and they went as they pleased, and no one -could say where they would next arrive.</p> - -<p>Baffled, he tried to catalogue the crew. Not Larienne. She'd live with -him if he wanted, more readily now than before. Ordinary rules didn't -apply to her; sympathy counted for most.</p> - -<p>Nor was it Franklan. Bluntly he'd given his opinion, but that didn't -mean he was responsible for this. The person who was behind it was -keeping well hidden.</p> - -<p>Alsint went wearily down the line, adjusting and readjusting.</p> - -<p>On one of the handles was—a tiny red feather.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>He stared at it, relief forming nebulously in his mind. A bird <i>had</i> -been there. How it had gotten in and then out again through closed -doors, he didn't know. That part was unimportant. It <i>had</i> been there.</p> - -<p>It wasn't a hallucination, though for a time he'd almost believed it -himself. Now he knew.</p> - -<p>Gingerly he picked up the feather. It was no proof, except to himself. -That was enough. He could do something about it.</p> - -<p>The trap for him was set, but wouldn't be closed immediately. The ship -would not go out of the way except in extreme emergency. In another -four months it would run low on fuel and material for the tagging -operation, assuming normal conditions. The ship would then return to -the nearest inhabited planet.</p> - -<p>That was the way tag ships operated. Unlike other ships, freight or -passenger, their objective was not to get from one inhabited planet to -another as fast as possible, but to stay away as long as they could. -For that reason, of all ships, they alone had to have the plant. No -other food supply was so economical of space and weight.</p> - -<p>Once they reached a planet, he'd be referred to the authorities for -psychiatric examination. Eventually he'd be cleared, but by then it -would be too late. <i>Unless he could forestall it.</i></p> - -<p>There was a way to do that, though it was dangerous for him, and he -stood a chance of ruining the plant.</p> - -<p>He made up his mind and went back down the line of controls. Larienne -might question some of the new settings, but she'd defer to his -judgment.</p> - -<p>It took two weeks for the plant to decline so even the captain could -see that it was impossible to go on. As master of the ship, he disliked -abandoning tagging operations even temporarily, but the crew had to eat.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>It was a planet. Nothing out of the ordinary, there were many planets -like Earth. Not many that were settled, though; almost uniformly, -that kind of planet lacked the heavy elements that made colonization -economically feasible.</p> - -<p>It was pleasant and sunny, great grassy glades and an equal amount of -forests. No intelligent life on it, so there was nothing to worry about -on that score. Animals, big and little, but ordinary weapons would -discourage them.</p> - -<p>Half a mile away was the ship, ready for instant flight. Not that there -was anything to flee from. That was the way it had to come down if it -was ever to rise again.</p> - -<p>The plant had been stripped to components and spread over the ground. -An extensive layout, but it was necessary if the plant was going to -get full benefit of planetary conditions. It had been put together to -facilitate disassembly, and it hadn't taken long to remove it from the -ship.</p> - -<p>A transparent canopy covered it, protection from the elements. A sudden -rainstorm could drastically alter the concentration of the vital -fluids. There was also an electrified fence to keep out stray animals.</p> - -<p>Everything except root cells was exposed to the sun and wind. Under -these conditions the plant began to recover from the deliberate injury -he had done it. Why plants should recover so easily was still a -mystery, but generations of plant mechanics had discovered that they -always did.</p> - -<p>Alsint took the sundown shift. The plant could be left alone at night, -locked up with the knowledge that nothing big enough to damage it could -get in. It was better if there was someone to make minute adjustments -from time to time, but that was not the reason he was there.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Sundown or sunrise, and sundown was better. Either time, men were -outside the ship who didn't have to account for their whereabouts. More -were out at sundown. And one of them, sooner or later, would be the -person he wanted.</p> - -<p>The plan was simple. Give the man every opportunity to kill him, make -it irresistible—but shoot first. If the man lived, he would talk. If -he didn't, there would be some clue in his personal effects. Dangerous, -but if Alsint wanted to profit from his plant, he had no choice.</p> - -<p>Days passed and no one came near. He could and did retard the regrowth -of the plant, but in that respect he was limited. He couldn't be too -obvious about it. The time came when he couldn't stall any longer. In -reply to the captain's blunt question, he had to admit that in the -morning the plant would be in as good condition as he could get it.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>He sat that night in the enclosure, knowing this was his last chance. -It grew dark and night sounds intruded. The lights in the ship went -out. Only the light near him remained. He was careful to sit at the -edge of illumination, visible, but a poor target.</p> - -<p>Animals snuffled in the brush near the electrified fence. They had -learned quickly and knew better than to touch it. And there was another -sound—no animal.</p> - -<p>He quietly shifted his arm and held the light in readiness. He -listened. Someone was crawling through the brush. He had to wait. It -was hard on his nerves, being bait.</p> - -<p>He flashed the light on suddenly.</p> - -<p>The man was half hidden behind a bush and Alsint couldn't see his face, -but the gun in his hand glittered through the leaves.</p> - -<p>"Surprise," said Alsint. "Don't try anything."</p> - -<p>The man stood there, but he didn't drop his gun.</p> - -<p>Alsint didn't like it. He couldn't identify the man. If he ran back -into the forest, Alsint wouldn't know any more than he had in the -beginning. He fingered the gun. "Come out where I can see you," he said.</p> - -<p>The man didn't move—waiting until his eyes adjusted to the light -shining on him, decided Alsint. As a choice, his own life came first. -He raised the gun.</p> - -<p>Before he could fire, a red bird attacked his eyes, squawking wildly.</p> - -<p>He didn't drop the light. He tried to bat the bird away from his face, -but it clung to his hair. Before he could crush it, he heard the whoosh -of a gas gun. And the sound came from <i>behind</i> him. That was his -mistake. There was more than one of them.</p> - -<p>He breathed once and then felt himself fall forward.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>It was morning when he awakened, bright sunlight streaming into his -eyes. That was not the reason his head hurt, though he could be -thankful the man or men had used a gas pellet instead of a projectile. -Whoever <i>he</i> or <i>they</i> were.</p> - -<p>He got up and staggered toward the ship. A few steps were all he took. -The ship wasn't there. He leaned against a tree and looked wildly -around. The plant was gone too.</p> - -<p>Shakily he fumbled for a cigarette. Smoke didn't help much. They had -taken the plant aboard while he was unconscious. They had left him -alone on an uninhabited planet.</p> - -<p>A pretty planet and a useless one. No ship ever stopped here except to -revive a plant, and that wouldn't happen often. It would be several -lifetimes before another ship came, if one ever did.</p> - -<p>He stared miserably into the bright blue distance and thrust his hands -into his jacket, and made a discovery. They'd left him a gun, at least, -and ammunition. He'd be able to keep himself alive at a minimum level.</p> - -<p>There was a whistle in the distance. His head came up. He wasn't alone. -Larienne?</p> - -<p>It couldn't be. From the direction of the sound, if it was Larienne, -she was hiding in a nearby tree. But Larienne didn't like trees.</p> - -<p>"Richel Alsint," said a loud voice. Behind him this time.</p> - -<p>He turned around. There was no one there. Nothing but a red bird -sitting on a branch. He started. The same red bird that had flown -mysteriously in and out of his life. If it weren't for that creature, -he'd be safely on the ship. He raised the gun.</p> - -<p>From one foot to another, the bird hopped on the branch. "Birds can't -talk," it screeched. "Birds can't talk."</p> - -<p>The implication was clear. "Since you <i>can</i> talk, you're not a bird." -The gun was still leveled. "Then what are you?"</p> - -<p>"I could tell," said the bird. It had stopped hopping and was watching -him calmly. It was red, but sometimes blue. The colors wouldn't remain -fixed.</p> - -<p>He lowered the gun in defeat. He couldn't kill a harmless creature -just for the sake of killing. It hadn't been responsible for this.</p> - -<p>"Don't be so sure, Richel Alsint. Don't be so sure." The bird burst -into a wild trilling song.</p> - -<p>He glared at it speechlessly. Bird it wasn't. Either it could read -his thoughts or it had been taught a patter that fitted his present -situation with remarkable precision.</p> - -<p>"What do you think?" said the bird, cocking its head.</p> - -<p>He forgot about the bird. It was only a momentary diversion. "I've been -marooned," he said dully.</p> - -<p>"It's happened before. It will happen again," chirruped the bird. -"Don't worry, I'm here."</p> - -<p>It was, but he wished it would go away.</p> - -<p>"There is a note. Why don't you read, read, read?" sang the bird.</p> - -<p>He looked, catching a glimpse of sunlight on metal. They had left -something. He ran over to it, a few hundred yards away.</p> - -<p>And there was a note. He seized it feverishly.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p><i>I made them leave this. You may not need it, but you deserve to know -the answers.</i></p> - -<p><i>Don't you understand? You were infuriating everyone, even me, and I -liked you better than anyone on the ship. You were always changing -things for the sake of that damn plant! It was too dry, so we had to -have more humidity than we liked. Or the pilot had to keep the drive -from vibrating. Or this, or that, on and on and on! Who cares, really?</i></p> - -<p><i>A good plant mechanic ought to keep the plant alive for five months -and then let it die. We can live the last month off the remains. We -have to go back every six months for supplies anyway. It's expensive, -I know, but until you can get a plant that reacts as we do, it will -just have to die and be replaced.</i></p> - -<p><i>I thought of staying with you, but I couldn't stand all those -changes—rain and sun—all the things an uncontrolled planet has. And -then there was that story of the bird. That was too much!</i></p> - -<p><i>Don't think too badly of me. At least I kept them from killing you.</i></p></div> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>There was no signature, but there was no doubt who had written it.</p> - -<p>"All of them," he muttered. Not just one man. Everyone, from the -captain down. Larienne too. And they were safe. Who would bother to -look for him when the captain recorded in the log that Richel Alsint -had deserted because his plant was a failure? And, of course, it was -going to fail.</p> - -<p>"The crew of the craft was daft, and you were the only one who was -sane?" said the bird. "Don't you believe it. There are people on -countless planets just like them."</p> - -<p>It was true. The crew was part of the civilization. On those planets -where it was possible to have parks, no one went to them. They -stayed in the cities as the crew stayed in the ship. And on other -planets—roofed over against poisonous gases, and inhabitants who never -saw the sun—those planets were not much better than spaceships. He was -the one who was different, not they. They had a mechanical culture and -they liked it.</p> - -<p>He could see how he had irritated the crew in ways he didn't suspect. -They had wanted to get rid of him and they had.</p> - -<p>He looked down at the machine they had left him, robbed, at Larienne's -insistence, from the major plant. Small, just large enough to supply -one man, but containing all the necessary parts. A plant machine in -miniature.</p> - -<p>She really hadn't understood. He <i>could</i> live on the food this -provided. But <i>would</i> he, on a world teeming with animals and covered -with plants, <i>real</i> plants? He laughed bitterly.</p> - -<p>"Now you know," said the bird. "In the past there were others -marooned. Just like you. I came from them."</p> - -<p>He looked up wonderingly. "Here? On this planet?" he asked eagerly.</p> - -<p>A brilliant butterfly wandered past. The bird eyed it longingly and -shivered into a rainbow of colors and darted away after it.</p> - -<p>"Come back!" Alsint shouted. He couldn't find them unaided. He had to -have directions.</p> - -<p>The bird didn't return immediately. It played with the butterfly, -flashing around it. Presently it tired of the sport and came back -to the branch it had perched on. "Pretty bit of fluff," it said -breathlessly.</p> - -<p>"Never mind that," said Alsint impatiently. "What about those people? -Are they on this world?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, not here," said the bird. "A thousand planets away."</p> - -<p>Alsint groaned. The bird had been trained by a mad-man and was -alternately raising his hopes and crushing them.</p> - -<p>"Not so," said the bird. "Here's history: a hundred and forty years -ago, a couple, plant mechanics, were marooned—for the same reason." It -flew from the perch and alighted on the plant machine, dipping its bill -in a collecting tray. "Good stuff," it said, clattering its beak.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Alsint said nothing. It would tell him when it got ready, not before.</p> - -<p>"The plant machine's fine," said the bird. "It's a plant that's been -taken apart. Can you put it back together?"</p> - -<p>"No more than it is," said Alsint. "No one can."</p> - -<p>"No one <i>you</i> know," said the bird. "Here's more history: A hundred and -forty years ago, this couple learned how to put it together—and it -grew. A hundred and thirty years ago, they knew how to take an animal -apart and keep it alive. A hundred and twenty years ago, they put the -animal together and made it work in a new way."</p> - -<p>The bird sidled along the branch. "What's the difference between plant -and animal?" it asked.</p> - -<p>There were countless differences, on any level Alsint wanted to think -about. Cellular, organizational, whatever he named. But the bird had -something simple in mind.</p> - -<p>"There are some plants which can move a little," Alsint said slowly. -"And there are some animals that hardly move at all. But the real -difference, if there is any, is motion."</p> - -<p>"Right. You'll get along fine," said the bird. "A hundred and twenty -years ago, this couple—who by then had several children—put an animal -together in a new way and got—pure motion."</p> - -<p>That was what had been puzzling him, and now he knew. "Teleports," he -said. "They can teleport."</p> - -<p>"They can't," said the bird. "The mind's best for thinking—they say. -And they've kept theirs uncluttered." The bird cocked a glittering eye. -"I don't know about minds. I never had one."</p> - -<p>If they couldn't teleport, how had the bird got here?</p> - -<p>Alsint glanced at the bird. It wasn't perched on the plant machine and -the wings were folded. Six feet off the ground it hovered, and not a -breath of air stirring.</p> - -<p>"Behind you," said the bird.</p> - -<p>It didn't twitch a feather, but it was behind him now and he hadn't -seen it move.</p> - -<p>"Teleports, yes," said the bird. "But they can't do it. We do it for -them."</p> - -<p>The bird <i>had</i> been outside the visionport of the spaceship. If it -could teleport itself, why not air too?</p> - -<p>That was only part of it. The bird had followed him, but how had it -foreseen this end?</p> - -<p>"Did you know this would happen?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"Plant mechanics are always getting marooned," said the bird. "We've -gathered up quite a few. They work with the plant and a plant belongs -on a planet. The rhythm is different from that of a machine."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>He knew that. He could feel it, though he had never put it into words. -"Go tell them where I am," he said. "I can live until they send a ship."</p> - -<p>"A ship?" said the bird. "So slow? They don't believe in waiting. -They've got all the beautiful planets that men don't want—just for -the asking, though they don't have to ask. They need the right kind of -people to live on them."</p> - -<p>They didn't believe in waiting. A shadow fell across his face. Alsint -looked up. Something was dropping down from the sky. Not a ship—not -the conventional kind, anyway. It was the kind <i>they</i> would use. On -planets on which all the food was grown naturally and no heavy elements -were needed, what would be transported? People.</p> - -<p>Not moving a wing, it came down, first fast and then slow. It stood in -front of him, towering, a giant abstract figure of a woman with wings. -There was frost on it.</p> - -<p>He went to it and it covered him with wings.</p> - -<p>There was no sensation at all except cold, which lasted only a few -seconds. When he opened his eyes, the strange, beautiful ship was -dropping down on another planet, more pleasant than the last. Men and -women were coming out of the houses to meet him. One of them looked -something like Larienne.</p> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Growing Season, by F. L. 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L. Wallace - -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: Growing Season - -Author: F. L. Wallace - -Release Date: November 15, 2019 [EBook #60693] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GROWING SEASON *** - - - - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - - Growing Season - - By F. L. WALLACE - - _Why would anyone want to kill a tender - of mechanized vegetation--with, of all - things, a watch and a little red bird?_ - - [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from - Worlds of If Science Fiction, July 1959. - Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that - the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] - - -The furry little animal edged cautiously toward him, ready to scamper -up a tree. But the kernel on the ground was tempting and the animal -grabbed it and scurried back to safety. Richel Alsint sat motionless, -enjoying himself greatly. - -Outside the park in every direction were many tiers of traffic. He was -the only person in the park; it was silent there except for birds. One -in particular he noticed, all body, or entirely wing--it was impossible -to say which at this distance--soared effortlessly overhead, a small -bundle of bright blue feathers. The wings, if it had wings, didn't -move at all; the bird balanced with remarkable skill on air currents. -Everything about it might be small, but the voice wasn't, and it made -good use of every note. - -Alsint twisted his hand slowly toward the sack beside him. - -In that position the ship watch was visible. There was no need to look; -it was connected to the propulsion processes of the ship and would -signal long before he had to be back. Nevertheless he did glance at it. - -In sudden alarm, he jumped up, scattering the contents of the sack. -The circle of animals fled into the underbrush and the birds stopped -singing and flew away. - -He left everything on the bench. It was untidy, but his life would be -more untidy if he missed the ship. He ran to the aircar parked in the -clearing and fumbled at the door. The bright blue bird was changing to -red, but he didn't notice that. - -He bounced the car straight up, sinking into the cushions with the -acceleration. High above the regular levels of traffic, he located the -spaceport in the distance and jammed the throttle forward. The ship was -there, and as long as it was, he had a chance. Not much, though. The -absence of activity on the ground indicated they were getting ready. - -He dropped the aircar down as close as he could get and left it. There -was no time to take the underground passage that came up somewhere near -the ship. The guard at the surface gate stopped him. - -"You're too late," said the attendant. - -"I've got to get in!" Alsint said. - -The guard recognized the uniform, but, sitting in the heavily -reinforced cubicle, made no move to press the button which would allow -the gate to swing open. It was a high gate and there was no way to get -over it. - -He grinned sourly. "Next time you'll pay attention to the signal." - -There were worse times and places to argue about it, but Alsint -couldn't remember them. "There wasn't any signal," he said. He caught -the cynical expression on the guard's face and extended his hand. "See -for yourself." - -The watch was working, indicating time till takeoff, but the -unmistakable glow and the irritating tingle, guaranteed to wake any man -out of a sleep this side of the final one, were missing. - -The guard blinked. "Never heard of that ever happening," he said. "Tell -you what--I'll testify that it wasn't your fault. That'll clear you. -You can get a job on the next ship and catch up with your own in a -month at the most." - -It wasn't that easy, nor so simple. Alsint glanced frantically at the -watch. Minutes left now, though he couldn't be sure. If the signal -wasn't functioning, maybe the time was wrong too. "I'll never get on -that one again," he said. "It's a tag ship." - -The guard scrutinized him more closely, differentiating his uniform -from others similar to it. "In that case you'd better go to the traffic -tower," he said reluctantly. "They'll stop it for you." - -They would, but he'd waste half an hour getting past the red tape at -the entrance. There were a number of reasons why he couldn't let the -ship leave without him. "I know our crew," he said. "They'll be waiting -for me. Let me try to get on." - -The guard shrugged. "It's your funeral." Slowly the gate swung open. - -Alsint dashed through. He had to hurry, but it wasn't as dangerous as -the guard imagined. The watch had failed, but inside the ship was a -panel which indicated the presence or absence of any crew member. That -panel was near the pilot. He wouldn't take off without clearing it. - -Besides, there was standard takeoff procedure--always someone at the -visionport, watching for latecomers, of which there were usually a -few. Alsint raised his head as he ran. He couldn't see anyone at the -visionport. - -Breathing heavily, he brushed against the ship. Late, but not too late. -He turned the corner at the vane. - -He didn't like what he saw. The ramp was up and the outer lock was -closed. They were waiting for clearance from the spaceport. - -His composure slipped a little. If the clearance came within the next -few minutes, he'd be dead. Not that the clearance would come. A ship -just didn't lift off, leaving one of the crew behind--or he hoped it -didn't. - -He pounded on the lock and shouted, though it was useless. Inside, they -couldn't hear him. The noise frightened a little red bird which had -been hovering nearby. It flew around his head, squawking shrilly. - - * * * * * - -Alsint scowled at it. It reminded him unpleasantly of the park. If he -hadn't gone there, he'd be safe inside the ship. True, parks were rare, -and people who went to them even more rare. After so many months in the -ship, it had been a great temptation--for him, not the others. No one -else had been interested. - -Now he had to get in. A tremor ran through the hull and he realized how -urgent it was. A little more of this and he would be caught under the -rockets. - -The airlock was smooth, but he located the approximate latching point -on the outside and stripped off the watch, holding it against the ship -by the band. He tried to remember and thought the face should be turned -inward. He held it that way and hoped he was right. He closed his eyes -and swung hard with his fist. - -His hand exploded with pain and he could feel the flash on his face. -The energy, which was sufficient to drive the instrument for a thousand -years, dissipated in much less than a second. An instant later the hand -which held the strap reacted to the heat. He dropped the useless watch -and opened his eyes. - -He had figured it right and he was also lucky. The energy had turned -inward, as he had hoped, otherwise he'd have no hand, and the latching -mechanism had been destroyed. The resulting heat had buckled the plate -outward. The hull was trembling with greater violence as the takeoff -rockets warmed up. - -The airlock was still very hot. His fingers sizzled as he grasped the -curled edge and pulled out. It moved a little. He shifted his hands for -a better grip and heaved. It opened. - -He scrambled inside and shut it behind him, latching it with the -emergency device. Close, but it didn't matter as long as he'd made it. -The ship began to rise and the acceleration forced him to kneel in the -passageway between the outer and inner lock. He kept thinking of the -little red bird he'd seen outside. Burned, no doubt, as he would have -been. - -Finally the rockets stopped and the heaviness disappeared. They were -out of the atmosphere and hence the ship had shifted to interstellar -drive. The heat from the rockets began to abate. He was grateful for -that. - -He got to his feet and staggered to the inner lock and leaned against -it. That didn't open, either. He shouted. It might take time, but -eventually someone would come close enough to hear him. - -There was air in the passageway and he knew he could survive. It had -been too hot; now it was getting cold. He shivered and shook his head -in bewilderment. - -None of this was the way it ought to be. It had never been difficult to -get on the ship. If he didn't know better, he'd say-- - -But this was not the time to say that. - -He didn't hear the footsteps on the other side. The lock swung in and -he fell forward. His burned hands were too cold to hurt as he checked -his fall. - -Scantily clad, Larienne stood over him. "Playing hiding games?" she -asked. She got a better look and knelt by his side. "You're hurt!" - -So he was, but mostly he was tired. In the interval before he accepted -the luxury of unconsciousness, the thought flashed across his mind -before he could disown it: Someone on the ship was trying to take the -plant away, or wanted him to fail. - -Either would have been accomplished if he had been left behind. - - * * * * * - -He sat in his room, thinking. He wished he knew more about the crew. -Six months was enough to give him wide acquaintance, but not the deep -kind. They were a clannish lot on the ship. His own assistant he knew -well enough, and the doctor. The captain he hardly ever saw. The rest -of them he knew by sight and name, but not much else: the few married -couples, the legally unattached girls, and the larger number of male -technicians. - -None of them, as far as he could see, had any incentive to engineer the -mixup which had nearly caused him to miss the ship. Of course he might -be reading into it more than was there. It could have happened that way -accidentally. And then maybe it didn't. - -His thoughts were interrupted by a knock. "Who's there?" he called. - -Larienne walked in. "Nobody asks _who_," she said. "It's always _come -in_. Even I know that, and I've been on this traveling isolation ward -a mere three years." - -She dropped into a chair and draped her legs, long legs that were worth -showing off. She had a certain air of impartiality that attracted -attention. She was smart, though, and knew when to discard impartiality. - -She eyed him curiously. "I'm trying to discover the secret of your -popularity. That damn plant is pining for you." - -"It's not me," he said. "You have to know how to handle it." - -"Thanks," she said dryly. "I don't know how. But Richel Alsint, boy -plant psychologist, does. He knows when to increase the circulation, -when to give it an extra shot of minerals, and when, on the other hand, -to scare the damn thing out of its wits, which I sometimes believe it -actually has." - -"Don't personalize it," he warned. "It's partly plant and partly a -machine. Your mistake is that you treat it as if it were wholly a -machine." - -"Seems to me I've heard that before. What should I do that I don't?" - -"Cycles," he said. "Rhythm. A machine doesn't need that kind of -treatment, but a plant does. Normally it starts as a seed, grows to -maturity, produces more seeds, and eventually dies. Our plant isn't -like that, of course. It never produces seeds, and, if we're careful, -doesn't die. Yet it does have something that faintly corresponds to -the original cycles." - -She sighed. "It might help if I knew what it was--geranium, or -sunflower, or whatever." - -He had told her, but apparently she didn't want to remember. "It isn't -one plant. It's been made from hundreds; even I don't know what they -were. One best feature from this, another strong feature from something -else. We've taken plants apart and recombined them into something new. -This is just--plant." - - * * * * * - -Larienne dropped her legs to a more comfortable if less esthetic -position. "Hydroponics was simpler," she objected. - -"It was," he said. "And if you want to know, old-fashioned dirt farming -was even simpler. Our combination plant and machine is merely a step -and a half ahead of hydroponics." - -"Suppose you come out and tell me what I've done wrong," she said, -getting up. - -"One last thing," he said. "Remember that plants evolved on planets. -No matter what we do, we can't convince the plant that it's still -on a planet. Light's the easiest. As far as we know, it will grow -indefinitely under our artificial light. Artificial gravity is -different. I don't know the difference, and neither do the physicists, -but the plant does. It can live in the ship just so long and then has -to be taken out for a rest. There are other things that affect it, -vibration, noise, and maybe more. You know how I have to keep after the -pilot to dampen his drive. All these things change the cycle it has to -have." - -"Agreed," she said impatiently, meaning mostly that she didn't care. -"Let's go out and look at it." - -The plant was a machine and the machine was a plant. It occupied -a large space in the center of the ship. And it wasn't wasted -space; properly cared for, the plant could supply food for the crew -indefinitely. - -The plant machine evolved from earlier attempts to convert raw material -and energy into food. Originally algae were used because they were -hardy and simple to control. But the end product had to be processed -and algae did not produce the full scale of nutrients in the proper -proportion for the human diet. - -Certain cells of more highly evolved plants were far more efficient in -the conversion of raw materials into proteins, vitamins and the like. -Originally, inedible parts were produced too, the stalk, which might or -might not be used for food, and the leaves and roots. On a planet with -plenty of room, this made little difference. But on an overcrowded -planet, or one with a poisonous atmosphere, and especially on a ship -where space was at a premium, normal methods could not be used. - -In the plant machine were certain cells which had been selected because -of their ability to produce a variety of nutrients. The inedible parts -of the plant were replaced by machinery. Instead of roots to draw water -and minerals from the soil, there were pumps and filters. Instead of -stems to elevate that material to the leaves, there were hoses. Instead -of entire leaves to perform photosynthesis, there were only those cells -most efficient at the process. There were no seeds, tubers, roots, nor -fleshy stalks to store the food. Collecting trays replaced them. There -was no waste space; nothing was produced that couldn't be eaten. - -There was an additional problem of reconciling the various cell fluids -and different rates of growth. In part, that was accomplished by the -plant machinery; the rest depended on the plant mechanic. His job was -akin to that of a factory manager. In a sense, the plant machine was -nothing more than a highly organized and complex factory, of which the -productive units were the actual cells. - - * * * * * - -Alsint went along the aisles. Dials and gauges everywhere--a continuous -record was kept of every stage. Each record was important, but nothing -that could be reduced to a formula. The plant was not in bad shape, -considering. At his instructions, Larienne made certain adjustments. - -"Why reduce the light?" she asked. "I thought this unit grew better -with stronger light." - -"It does, within limits." - -"I was within those limits." - -"You were, but consider this. The plant from which these cells came -grow fastest in early summer, but it isn't edible at that time. In -late summer, it is. The light change merely corresponds to original -conditions." - -Partly convinced, she nodded. "What kind of plant was it?" - -He smiled. "I don't know. It's the nth cellular descendant of some -plant that once grew on Earth." - -She touched a dial she had adjusted. "And on this one you reduced the -fluid flow into it, and switched the output to another unit I've never -seen it connected to." - -"Same thing. The input corresponds to the difference between the dry -and rainy seasons." - -"But things grow faster with more water." - -"They do, unless it happens to be a cactus." - -She shook her head. "I give up. Cactus yet." - -"I didn't say it was cactus. It might be, and, if so, could be very -efficient in preparing water and soil minerals for use by the leaves. -There aren't any leaves, of course, but that doesn't change the -principle." - -"Don't think I'll ever understand it," she said. "Enough to get by, but -not the way you do." - -She stood at his side. It was pleasant to have her there. Other things -were pleasant to imagine too, but he refrained. There were married -couples on the ship, just as there were unattached men and women. But -when the men outnumbered the women three to one, certain conclusions -were inevitable, and he had made them the first few days aboard. Unlike -many of the others, he didn't expect to stay on the ship forever. In a -year and a half he would either prove his point or fail. - -Then he would leave. Would Larienne come with him? Maybe, but it wasn't -a good bet. A liaison, no matter how easy it was to enter into, was not -always easy to break. There would be time to decide about that later. - -"Is everything all right?" she asked. - -He glanced over the dials and mentally added them up. "Reasonably so. -Yes." - -"Good," she said. "Unless you need me sooner, I'll be back in about ten -hours." - -He nodded and she left. It was unnecessary to ask where she was going. -He could tell that from her manner. They had raised a hitherto unmarked -solar system and she was helping tag it. - -His injured hands were aching with the effort, though Larienne had -done most of the actual work. He started toward his room, and then, on -another thought, turned into the dispensary. Franklan he knew better -than anyone except Larienne, and he might get a fresh viewpoint from -him. - - * * * * * - -Franklan was waiting. He had a doctor's degree from some planet, but -on the ship titles were largely ignored. "The wounded hero comes back, -holding our food supply precariously in his skilled hands," he said as -Alsint entered. - -The sarcasm was not altogether friendly, Alsint decided. Without -comment, he laid his hands on the table. He did not pretend to be a -hero and he was not even particularly stubborn. He had put together a -plant in a better way, one that ought to withstand the rigors of tag -ship service, and he intended to see that it got a fair trial. - -"What do you know about ship watches?" he asked cautiously. - -"Fifteen years on a tag ship, and I've never personally seen a failure. -I suppose it can happen." Franklan glanced up. "It's too bad you had -to destroy yours to get in. I'd like to see what an examination by our -technicians would show." - -The same thought that he had, though Franklan seemed to have attached -the opposite meaning to it. "Interesting, isn't it?" Alsint said -evenly. "But I was thinking of the connection it has to the crew panel." - -Franklan bit his lip. "I hadn't considered that." - -"I have. The pilot had to check the crew panel before he could take -off. If he did, and saw that I was missing, why didn't he wait? If he -didn't see that I wasn't inside the ship, then the panel was defective -too. It's hard to believe." - -Franklan filled a small tank with fluid and motioned toward it. -Alsint dipped his hands in. It stung, but he could see that it had a -pronounced healing effect. - -Franklan was watching him narrowly. "Service on a tag ship is -voluntary. It has to be, considering all the solitude we have to take. -Any man can withdraw any time he wants. A lot of them do, especially in -the first three years. However, bear this in mind. You've practically -accused someone on the ship of trying to leave you behind. I know you -do think that. And if you can produce evidence, I'll believe you. But -there is one person on whom suspicion will fall first." - -That was what Alsint wanted to hear. He'd gone over it in his mind and -couldn't find anyone to suspect. Any clue was welcome. - -"Who?" he asked. - -"You," said Franklan. "If _I_ wanted to leave the tag ship service, I'd -see to it that I made as graceful an exit as possible. Forced out by an -accident, of course. I'd want to tell people that." - - * * * * * - -He might have expected that kind of attitude. Franklan was proud of the -work he was associated with. Nothing wrong with that; everyone had that -right. In fact, if he didn't, he had no business doing it. - -However, it made things difficult for Alsint. He was on a tag ship -for other reasons. He had evolved several strains of plant cells that -should be especially suited for use on tag ships. - -For some reason the plants on tag ships were always dying. Ships -returned to inhabited planets for refueling with the machines intact -but with the plants dead. The plant cells had to be replaced. It was -not that the actual material was expensive. It wasn't. But the process -of getting the strange cells to work together as a new unit was -time-consuming and enormously costly. That was where the trouble came. -The plant couldn't be fitted together like an engine. - -Alsint had evolved cells that were far more viable, but the only way to -test that was in actual use. He had received permission from the Bureau -of Exploration to install his plant in a ship and try it for two years. -If at the end of that time the plant was still alive, he had something -really worthwhile. The only stipulation was that no one on the ship -should know that it was a test, since they might, out of consideration -for him, modify the service the ship normally went through. It had to -be a true rough, tough test. - -And he was getting it, in more ways than he had expected. Unless he -could stay with his plant for the next year and a half, all his work -would go for nothing. - -He drew his hands out of the fluid. "Do you think I'm trying to run -out?" he asked quietly. He had proof that he wasn't, but he couldn't -use it. - -Franklan shrugged. "Honestly, I don't. But I'm not blinding myself -to what the others will think." He squinted professionally at the -burns and dried the hands with a gentle blast of air. He picked up a -large tube and squeezed a substance on them which was absorbed almost -instantly. "There. You'll be all right in a few days." - -"Thanks," Alsint said laconically and stood up. - -As he went out the door, Franklan called after him. "If I see the -captain, I'll tell him I don't think you tried to jump ship. I doubt -that he'll ask. As I said, service on this ship is voluntary." - -Personally, Alsint didn't care what Franklan told the captain. However, -he was at a definite disadvantage. Next time they came to a planet, if -he were to disappear, nobody would be overly inquisitive. - - * * * * * - -The tagging operation was far from complete--seven planets in the -system and each had to be thoroughly investigated. Long-range -investigation, of course. A tag ship rarely landed, and then only -when the planet under consideration seemed extremely desirable for -colonization, enough to warrant closer observation. - -It didn't matter whether it had a breathable atmosphere or not, whether -it was ice-bound or blazing hot. These were minor difficulties and -engineering ingenuity could overcome them. There were other criteria, -and it was for these that they were checked. - -Alsint went out into the ship. There was a lot of activity, but much -of it was invisible, electronic in nature, affecting only instruments. -The ship had slipped into an orbit, the plane of which intersected the -axis of planetary revolution at the most effective angle. The ship went -around twice while the planet revolved three times. In that period the -mineral resources were plotted and the approximate quantities of each -were determined. - -Larienne looked up as he came near. "This is a real find," she said -cheerfully. - -"I suppose you've located the heavy stuff," he said, knowing that it -was a superfluous statement. - -"What else would we look for?" She bent over the small torpedo shape -she was working on. "Not just one, either. This is the second planet in -the system with enough heavy elements to be worth settling." - -"What's the gravity?" He didn't always share the enthusiasm others had -for their discoveries. - -"The first was 1.6. This is about 2.3. A little high for personal -comfort, but with the mineral resources there, the settlers can manage." - -"What about atmosphere?" - -"The first hasn't much, frozen mostly. This one has chlorine in it." -She grinned at him. "Your old theme, huh?" - -It was an old theme, though he didn't argue it. He was entitled to -personal reactions. "Maybe. Would you like to live on either of them?" - -"Don't have to," she said, making an adjustment on the torpedo. "Never -get out on a planet more than twice a year. In fact, I've almost -forgotten what a year means." - -That was the point, possibly, though there was no use to discuss it. -"Anything else of interest?" - -"We're coming to a smaller planet. Land, oceans, warm enough, and with -an atmosphere we can probably breathe as is. Don't know the composition -of the solid matter yet, but from our mass reading, it's a good bet -that there won't be enough heavy stuff to justify settlement." She made -a final delicate adjustment on the torpedo and began wheeling it to a -launching tube. "This one's in a rich system, though, and will probably -be used as an administration planet--vacation spot too. It won't go to -waste, if that is what's worrying you." - -In a way, it was. It was too bad that so many planets that were -otherwise ideal for human habitation had to be passed over because -they lacked the one essential. There was no help for it, of course. To -settle planets, spaceships were necessary--and heavy elements to drive -those ships. Nothing else mattered in the least. - - * * * * * - -Larienne snapped the torpedo in place and pressed a stud. The dark -shape disappeared. Out in space, it fell into an orbit which -eventually would land it safely on the planet. - -"There," she said with quiet satisfaction. "It's tagged, and it will -stay tagged until somebody digs it up." - -It might be a month, or a hundred years, before Colonization got around -to it. Meanwhile the torpedo was there, broadcasting at intervals the -information that the tag ship had discovered. Somewhere in a remote -planning center, a new red dot appeared in a three-dimensional model of -space, to be accounted for in a revised program of expansion. - -Larienne brushed the hair out of her eyes. There was a smudge on her -face. "I'm busy," she said. "But I can get out of this if you need me." - -As long as she was more interested in what she was doing, he'd rather -not have her. He shook his head. "I'll manage," he said, and headed -toward the plant. - -The instant he entered, something seemed wrong. He couldn't say what it -was without investigation. It was a big complex machine as well as a -plant, and even reading all the dials was not enough; visual inspection -was necessary too. He started at one end and worked toward the other. -The gauges indicated nothing out of the ordinary, but the plant was in -bad condition. - -It was something like a tree, the trunk and leaves of which were sound -enough, no discernible injuries, but nevertheless dying. At the roots, -of course. This plant had no roots, merely a series of tanks and trays, -each connected to others in a bewilderingly complex fashion. In that -series, though, was something which corresponded to roots. - -He was near the end of the first row before he spotted part of the -trouble. A flow-control valve was far out of adjustment. His hands were -bandaged and clumsy, but he tried to reset it. It was jammed tight and -he couldn't move it. - -He could call Larienne, but she was busy. So was the rest of the crew. -With sufficient leverage he could turn the valve. He looked around for -something he could use. A small metal bar leaning against the wall -nearby seemed adequate. - -He picked it up--and the bar burned into the bandages. He knew what it -was; he didn't have to think. He could hear the sparks as well as feel -it. Fortunately his shoes were not good conductors and not much of the -charge got through. - -With an effort he relaxed his convulsive grip, and still the bar stayed -in his hand. It had fused to the bandage and he couldn't shake it off. -The bar was glowing red; only the relatively nonconductive properties -of the bandage--heat as well as electricity--had prevented his instant -electrocution. And the bar was sinking deeper into the bandage. If it -ever touched his flesh, the charge would be dissipated--through his -body. - -He had to ground it. The metal tanks which held the plant would do -that, but also crisp the plant beyond salvage. He had to make a fast -choice. - - * * * * * - -Holding the bar at arm's length, he ran through the aisle, and, at the -far end, thrust it against the side of the ship. - -The resulting flash staggered him, but he stayed on his feet. Though -the metal began cooling rapidly, it remained fused to the bandage. He -laid one end on the floor and stepped on it, tearing it loose. - -It was a plain metal bar, made into a superconductor, with an unholy -charge stored in it. This couldn't be an accident. It took work to -turn ordinary metal into a superconductor at room temperature. Also it -couldn't be placed just anywhere. If the charge were to remain in it, a -special surface had to be prepared. - -The trap had been set up for him, and he had walked into it. The -bandage had saved him, nothing else. That was the one thing the -unknown person hadn't taken into account. - -Who? Larienne? She had access to the plant. But so did anyone else, -just by walking in. - -Not Larienne. She had her ugly moments and might try to kill him in a -fit of anger, but she wouldn't plan it coldly, nor go through with the -scheme if she planned it. It didn't take special knowledge to sabotage -the plant. Any control could be moved drastically and the plant would -suffer. The only technical knowledge required was that of making the -bar into a superconductor, and that knowledge she didn't have. True, -she could ask someone to do it for her. But she wouldn't. - -Alsint sat down. The actual physical damage from the electrical shock -wasn't great. The certainty that someone had tried to kill him was. - -Why? Violent personal hatred for himself he could rule out. He'd -been careful in his contacts with the crew. Only a psychotic could -manufacture a reason to hate him, and psychotics didn't last long on a -tag ship. - -It had to be connected to the plant. Someone on the ship was trying to -take it away from him, or one of his competitors had hired one of the -crew to see that he didn't survive. The last was unlikely. - -He had no proof that his plant was better, merely a belief that it -was. It seemed illogical that anyone would want to eliminate him on the -strength of an untested belief. - -But except for Larienne, no one had enough knowledge to nurse the plant -along for the required two years. Unless he remained alive, no one -would benefit. - -He shook his head. It was difficult to add up and arrive at a sensible -answer. One thing he knew, though--hereafter, he'd have to be on his -guard at all times. - -He could go to the captain with his story. He considered and rejected -that in the same instant. He'd have to tell the captain everything, -which would invalidate the test. He'd have to handle this by himself. - -He got up and continued his inspection of the plant, making minor -adjustments to compensate for the damage. Except for that one valve, -nothing seemed far out of line. - -That done, he limped to the dispensary. His hand was aching where he -had torn the bar loose and ripped the flesh. - -"Back again?" said Franklan. "Any new information on the enemy?" - -By itself, that was a suspicious statement. How could he know about -the latest incident? The easiest answer was that he didn't. He was -referring to the time Alsint had nearly missed the ship. - -"Not a thing," Alsint muttered. Unless he wanted to reinforce -Franklan's original opinion, he'd better keep this to himself. - -Franklan looked at his hand. "Whatever you've done, I don't recommend -it. It's not the way to get well fast--or at all." - -"Grabbed something hot," Alsint said. Might as well say that. The bar -was now just a bar and no examination would reveal that it had been a -superconductor. Same with the insulation it had rested on. He couldn't -prove anything. - - * * * * * - -Franklan rattled the instruments. "Nothing serious. This'll heal on -schedule, but it's going to hurt while I fix it." He administered a -local anesthetic below the elbow. - -It made Alsint dizzy. He sat down and closed his eyes while Franklan -worked. He relaxed more than he intended and then deliberately opened -his eyes because he was drowsy and didn't want to fall asleep. - -Over Franklan's shoulder, behind the window that swung out from the -dispensary to the corridor, was a little red bird. It was much like -the one that had fluttered around as he had tried to get on the ship. -Perhaps it had come in with him and hidden in some quiet place until -now. It was possible. - -Franklan looked up. "What are you staring at?" - -Alsint's tongue was fuzzy. "Outside the window behind you is a little -red bird," he said, speaking distinctly to overcome the side-effects of -the anesthesia. - -Franklan went on swabbing, not bothering to glance behind him. "You're -tired," he said. "And look again at that bird outside the window. For -my sake, tell it to put on a spacesuit. If it doesn't, it will die in a -matter of seconds." - -Startled, Alsint looked around. He was mixed up in his directions. He -was facing the visionport, plain empty space, not the corridor. - -He blinked his eyes frantically, but the bird wouldn't go away and it -didn't die. There was no air out there, millions of miles from the -nearest planet. The bird flapped its wings in the airless space and -went through the motions of singing. - - * * * * * - -It was ridiculous. There was nothing to carry the sound. But he -could imagine hearing it anyway, through the thick armorglass of the -visionport--a bird singing in space. - -Resolutely he closed his eyes and kept them closed. He had enough -trouble without taking on hallucinations. - -Franklan finished the new bandage and tapped his shoulder. "You can -come out of it now." - -Alsint tried not to, but he couldn't resist. He stared past Franklan -toward the visionport. - -"Is it gone?" asked Franklan. His voice was quiet. - -"It's gone," Alsint said in relief. - -"Good. These things happen occasionally. As long as you can adjust back -to reality, you have nothing to worry about." Franklan rummaged through -the medical supplies. "Take these. They may help you." - -Wordlessly, Alsint took the packet and went back to his room. He was -sweating and shaken. - -Franklan hadn't seen it because he hadn't looked, but there had been a -bird out there, or there hadn't. If not, Alsint's contact with reality -was precarious and he'd have to watch himself. Franklan had hinted at -that. Maybe he wanted Alsint to believe it. - -But it didn't mean there hadn't been an actual bird. It could be put -there in a plastic bubble that wasn't visible against the blackness of -space. If so, it was an ingenious way of harassing him. - -He relaxed at that formulation. It hadn't been worth the effort, -but it did prove one thing--his unknown antagonist had an excellent -imagination. - - * * * * * - -Time passed--days, perhaps, though that unit had little meaning on the -ship. It was the work period which counted and nobody had bothered to -tell him how long that was. The last planet of the system was analyzed -and the permanent markers sent down. The star was tagged and the ship -proceeded on its way. - -What the destination was, Alsint didn't know and didn't inquire. They -were going somewhere, to uncatalogued stars, and that was enough to -know. - -His hands healed and the bandages were removed. Larienne was reassigned -to help him. The rest of the crew, whatever they guessed, or sensed, -said nothing and the normal pattern of life on the tag ship seemed -re-established. - -His anxiety faded. It was not, he was sure, the end of the attempts to -remove him, but he had time to think, to plan countermeasures. - -He was not wholly prepared. He and Larienne were approaching the plant. -The door was open and he could see inside. He glanced casually at the -row on row of mechanism, and stopped. - -"What's the matter?" asked Larienne. - -He moistened his lips. "Go around to the other side and close the door. -Be quiet about it, but close the door quickly." - -She stared at him curiously and started to go inside. - -He grabbed her arm. "Around, I said. Not through." - -She shrugged and went around. In time he could see the other door -close. Then she came back. - -"What's inside?" she whispered, adopting his own attitude. - -"Something I want you to see." - -She peered in. "I can't see anything." - -"It's out of the line of vision now, but it's still in there." He swung -the door nearly shut. "Inside, fast. I'll show you." - -Obediently she went in and he followed, closing the door behind him. -She waited. - -"The bird," he said. "I want you to verify that it is in here." - -"Bird?" She was puzzled and dismayed. "How did a bird get in here?" - -"I don't know. I'll figure that out later." There was no need to -whisper, since it couldn't escape; nevertheless he did. "It's a -psychological stunt. The best way to stop it is to catch the bird." - -She drew away uncertainly. "You saw it in here?" - -"I did, and I want you to be with me when I find it." - -"Then we should make a lot of noise. It will fly up if it's frightened." - -"Good. You take that aisle and I'll take this. Yell when you see it." - -They separated. He hunted carefully, moving everything that could be -moved, looking for the flash of red wings. The bird was shy and had -hidden. - -They met in the center aisle. - -In answer to his unspoken query, she shook her head. "I didn't see it." - -"It's here," he said stubbornly. "I can't be mistaken." - -She started to say something and changed her mind. "Let's look again," -she suggested. It was not what she intended to say. What she thought -was plain from the expression on her face. - - * * * * * - -Again they went through the plant machine, searching. Every crevice, -every hidden corner was examined. He peered into the machinery, the -tanks and the trays, above and below. They looked, but there was no -bird. - -Larienne stood beside him and glanced up at the ceiling. "Maybe it got -out through the ventilators." - -"It couldn't," he said harshly. The ventilators were also filters; a -microbe would have difficulty getting through. She was trying to give -him a way out, but he couldn't take it. - -The room in which the plant machine was housed was not a simple open -space; there was structure throughout. But it was inconceivable that -something as large as a bird, even a small bird, could escape detection. - -"I'll take care of the plant," he said quietly. "I want to think." - -She left. He knew how she felt. It was worse because she did feel that -way. - -He had scored against himself. Larienne would say nothing to the rest -of the crew, but it would come out. Emotional reactions couldn't be -hidden. And if there was ever an inquiry, she'd have to tell her story. - -Franklan would see that there was an inquiry. That was his job. There -was nothing particularly arduous about life on a tag ship, yet not -everyone was suited to it. Monotony--and each person had to adjust to -the others as well as the ship. There was no room for a person who saw -things. - -It was a most effective attack, without danger for the man or men -behind it. Twice he had seen something that wasn't there, and there -were witnesses to testify against him. It would be enough to remove -him from the ship. The subsequent treatment wouldn't harm him, but the -ship would be gone and he'd never get back on. Tag ships were just too -unpredictable; they came and they went as they pleased, and no one -could say where they would next arrive. - -Baffled, he tried to catalogue the crew. Not Larienne. She'd live with -him if he wanted, more readily now than before. Ordinary rules didn't -apply to her; sympathy counted for most. - -Nor was it Franklan. Bluntly he'd given his opinion, but that didn't -mean he was responsible for this. The person who was behind it was -keeping well hidden. - -Alsint went wearily down the line, adjusting and readjusting. - -On one of the handles was--a tiny red feather. - - * * * * * - -He stared at it, relief forming nebulously in his mind. A bird _had_ -been there. How it had gotten in and then out again through closed -doors, he didn't know. That part was unimportant. It _had_ been there. - -It wasn't a hallucination, though for a time he'd almost believed it -himself. Now he knew. - -Gingerly he picked up the feather. It was no proof, except to himself. -That was enough. He could do something about it. - -The trap for him was set, but wouldn't be closed immediately. The ship -would not go out of the way except in extreme emergency. In another -four months it would run low on fuel and material for the tagging -operation, assuming normal conditions. The ship would then return to -the nearest inhabited planet. - -That was the way tag ships operated. Unlike other ships, freight or -passenger, their objective was not to get from one inhabited planet to -another as fast as possible, but to stay away as long as they could. -For that reason, of all ships, they alone had to have the plant. No -other food supply was so economical of space and weight. - -Once they reached a planet, he'd be referred to the authorities for -psychiatric examination. Eventually he'd be cleared, but by then it -would be too late. _Unless he could forestall it._ - -There was a way to do that, though it was dangerous for him, and he -stood a chance of ruining the plant. - -He made up his mind and went back down the line of controls. Larienne -might question some of the new settings, but she'd defer to his -judgment. - -It took two weeks for the plant to decline so even the captain could -see that it was impossible to go on. As master of the ship, he disliked -abandoning tagging operations even temporarily, but the crew had to eat. - - * * * * * - -It was a planet. Nothing out of the ordinary, there were many planets -like Earth. Not many that were settled, though; almost uniformly, -that kind of planet lacked the heavy elements that made colonization -economically feasible. - -It was pleasant and sunny, great grassy glades and an equal amount of -forests. No intelligent life on it, so there was nothing to worry about -on that score. Animals, big and little, but ordinary weapons would -discourage them. - -Half a mile away was the ship, ready for instant flight. Not that there -was anything to flee from. That was the way it had to come down if it -was ever to rise again. - -The plant had been stripped to components and spread over the ground. -An extensive layout, but it was necessary if the plant was going to -get full benefit of planetary conditions. It had been put together to -facilitate disassembly, and it hadn't taken long to remove it from the -ship. - -A transparent canopy covered it, protection from the elements. A sudden -rainstorm could drastically alter the concentration of the vital -fluids. There was also an electrified fence to keep out stray animals. - -Everything except root cells was exposed to the sun and wind. Under -these conditions the plant began to recover from the deliberate injury -he had done it. Why plants should recover so easily was still a -mystery, but generations of plant mechanics had discovered that they -always did. - -Alsint took the sundown shift. The plant could be left alone at night, -locked up with the knowledge that nothing big enough to damage it could -get in. It was better if there was someone to make minute adjustments -from time to time, but that was not the reason he was there. - - * * * * * - -Sundown or sunrise, and sundown was better. Either time, men were -outside the ship who didn't have to account for their whereabouts. More -were out at sundown. And one of them, sooner or later, would be the -person he wanted. - -The plan was simple. Give the man every opportunity to kill him, make -it irresistible--but shoot first. If the man lived, he would talk. If -he didn't, there would be some clue in his personal effects. Dangerous, -but if Alsint wanted to profit from his plant, he had no choice. - -Days passed and no one came near. He could and did retard the regrowth -of the plant, but in that respect he was limited. He couldn't be too -obvious about it. The time came when he couldn't stall any longer. In -reply to the captain's blunt question, he had to admit that in the -morning the plant would be in as good condition as he could get it. - - * * * * * - -He sat that night in the enclosure, knowing this was his last chance. -It grew dark and night sounds intruded. The lights in the ship went -out. Only the light near him remained. He was careful to sit at the -edge of illumination, visible, but a poor target. - -Animals snuffled in the brush near the electrified fence. They had -learned quickly and knew better than to touch it. And there was another -sound--no animal. - -He quietly shifted his arm and held the light in readiness. He -listened. Someone was crawling through the brush. He had to wait. It -was hard on his nerves, being bait. - -He flashed the light on suddenly. - -The man was half hidden behind a bush and Alsint couldn't see his face, -but the gun in his hand glittered through the leaves. - -"Surprise," said Alsint. "Don't try anything." - -The man stood there, but he didn't drop his gun. - -Alsint didn't like it. He couldn't identify the man. If he ran back -into the forest, Alsint wouldn't know any more than he had in the -beginning. He fingered the gun. "Come out where I can see you," he said. - -The man didn't move--waiting until his eyes adjusted to the light -shining on him, decided Alsint. As a choice, his own life came first. -He raised the gun. - -Before he could fire, a red bird attacked his eyes, squawking wildly. - -He didn't drop the light. He tried to bat the bird away from his face, -but it clung to his hair. Before he could crush it, he heard the whoosh -of a gas gun. And the sound came from _behind_ him. That was his -mistake. There was more than one of them. - -He breathed once and then felt himself fall forward. - - * * * * * - -It was morning when he awakened, bright sunlight streaming into his -eyes. That was not the reason his head hurt, though he could be -thankful the man or men had used a gas pellet instead of a projectile. -Whoever _he_ or _they_ were. - -He got up and staggered toward the ship. A few steps were all he took. -The ship wasn't there. He leaned against a tree and looked wildly -around. The plant was gone too. - -Shakily he fumbled for a cigarette. Smoke didn't help much. They had -taken the plant aboard while he was unconscious. They had left him -alone on an uninhabited planet. - -A pretty planet and a useless one. No ship ever stopped here except to -revive a plant, and that wouldn't happen often. It would be several -lifetimes before another ship came, if one ever did. - -He stared miserably into the bright blue distance and thrust his hands -into his jacket, and made a discovery. They'd left him a gun, at least, -and ammunition. He'd be able to keep himself alive at a minimum level. - -There was a whistle in the distance. His head came up. He wasn't alone. -Larienne? - -It couldn't be. From the direction of the sound, if it was Larienne, -she was hiding in a nearby tree. But Larienne didn't like trees. - -"Richel Alsint," said a loud voice. Behind him this time. - -He turned around. There was no one there. Nothing but a red bird -sitting on a branch. He started. The same red bird that had flown -mysteriously in and out of his life. If it weren't for that creature, -he'd be safely on the ship. He raised the gun. - -From one foot to another, the bird hopped on the branch. "Birds can't -talk," it screeched. "Birds can't talk." - -The implication was clear. "Since you _can_ talk, you're not a bird." -The gun was still leveled. "Then what are you?" - -"I could tell," said the bird. It had stopped hopping and was watching -him calmly. It was red, but sometimes blue. The colors wouldn't remain -fixed. - -He lowered the gun in defeat. He couldn't kill a harmless creature -just for the sake of killing. It hadn't been responsible for this. - -"Don't be so sure, Richel Alsint. Don't be so sure." The bird burst -into a wild trilling song. - -He glared at it speechlessly. Bird it wasn't. Either it could read -his thoughts or it had been taught a patter that fitted his present -situation with remarkable precision. - -"What do you think?" said the bird, cocking its head. - -He forgot about the bird. It was only a momentary diversion. "I've been -marooned," he said dully. - -"It's happened before. It will happen again," chirruped the bird. -"Don't worry, I'm here." - -It was, but he wished it would go away. - -"There is a note. Why don't you read, read, read?" sang the bird. - -He looked, catching a glimpse of sunlight on metal. They had left -something. He ran over to it, a few hundred yards away. - -And there was a note. He seized it feverishly. - - _I made them leave this. You may not need it, but you deserve to - know the answers._ - - _Don't you understand? You were infuriating everyone, even me, - and I liked you better than anyone on the ship. You were always - changing things for the sake of that damn plant! It was too dry, - so we had to have more humidity than we liked. Or the pilot had - to keep the drive from vibrating. Or this, or that, on and on - and on! Who cares, really?_ - - _A good plant mechanic ought to keep the plant alive for five - months and then let it die. We can live the last month off the - remains. We have to go back every six months for supplies anyway. - It's expensive, I know, but until you can get a plant that reacts - as we do, it will just have to die and be replaced._ - - _I thought of staying with you, but I couldn't stand all those - changes--rain and sun--all the things an uncontrolled planet has. - And then there was that story of the bird. That was too much!_ - - _Don't think too badly of me. At least I kept them from killing - you._ - - * * * * * - -There was no signature, but there was no doubt who had written it. - -"All of them," he muttered. Not just one man. Everyone, from the -captain down. Larienne too. And they were safe. Who would bother to -look for him when the captain recorded in the log that Richel Alsint -had deserted because his plant was a failure? And, of course, it was -going to fail. - -"The crew of the craft was daft, and you were the only one who was -sane?" said the bird. "Don't you believe it. There are people on -countless planets just like them." - -It was true. The crew was part of the civilization. On those planets -where it was possible to have parks, no one went to them. They -stayed in the cities as the crew stayed in the ship. And on other -planets--roofed over against poisonous gases, and inhabitants who never -saw the sun--those planets were not much better than spaceships. He was -the one who was different, not they. They had a mechanical culture and -they liked it. - -He could see how he had irritated the crew in ways he didn't suspect. -They had wanted to get rid of him and they had. - -He looked down at the machine they had left him, robbed, at Larienne's -insistence, from the major plant. Small, just large enough to supply -one man, but containing all the necessary parts. A plant machine in -miniature. - -She really hadn't understood. He _could_ live on the food this -provided. But _would_ he, on a world teeming with animals and covered -with plants, _real_ plants? He laughed bitterly. - -"Now you know," said the bird. "In the past there were others -marooned. Just like you. I came from them." - -He looked up wonderingly. "Here? On this planet?" he asked eagerly. - -A brilliant butterfly wandered past. The bird eyed it longingly and -shivered into a rainbow of colors and darted away after it. - -"Come back!" Alsint shouted. He couldn't find them unaided. He had to -have directions. - -The bird didn't return immediately. It played with the butterfly, -flashing around it. Presently it tired of the sport and came back -to the branch it had perched on. "Pretty bit of fluff," it said -breathlessly. - -"Never mind that," said Alsint impatiently. "What about those people? -Are they on this world?" - -"Oh, not here," said the bird. "A thousand planets away." - -Alsint groaned. The bird had been trained by a mad-man and was -alternately raising his hopes and crushing them. - -"Not so," said the bird. "Here's history: a hundred and forty years -ago, a couple, plant mechanics, were marooned--for the same reason." It -flew from the perch and alighted on the plant machine, dipping its bill -in a collecting tray. "Good stuff," it said, clattering its beak. - - * * * * * - -Alsint said nothing. It would tell him when it got ready, not before. - -"The plant machine's fine," said the bird. "It's a plant that's been -taken apart. Can you put it back together?" - -"No more than it is," said Alsint. "No one can." - -"No one _you_ know," said the bird. "Here's more history: A hundred and -forty years ago, this couple learned how to put it together--and it -grew. A hundred and thirty years ago, they knew how to take an animal -apart and keep it alive. A hundred and twenty years ago, they put the -animal together and made it work in a new way." - -The bird sidled along the branch. "What's the difference between plant -and animal?" it asked. - -There were countless differences, on any level Alsint wanted to think -about. Cellular, organizational, whatever he named. But the bird had -something simple in mind. - -"There are some plants which can move a little," Alsint said slowly. -"And there are some animals that hardly move at all. But the real -difference, if there is any, is motion." - -"Right. You'll get along fine," said the bird. "A hundred and twenty -years ago, this couple--who by then had several children--put an animal -together in a new way and got--pure motion." - -That was what had been puzzling him, and now he knew. "Teleports," he -said. "They can teleport." - -"They can't," said the bird. "The mind's best for thinking--they say. -And they've kept theirs uncluttered." The bird cocked a glittering eye. -"I don't know about minds. I never had one." - -If they couldn't teleport, how had the bird got here? - -Alsint glanced at the bird. It wasn't perched on the plant machine and -the wings were folded. Six feet off the ground it hovered, and not a -breath of air stirring. - -"Behind you," said the bird. - -It didn't twitch a feather, but it was behind him now and he hadn't -seen it move. - -"Teleports, yes," said the bird. "But they can't do it. We do it for -them." - -The bird _had_ been outside the visionport of the spaceship. If it -could teleport itself, why not air too? - -That was only part of it. The bird had followed him, but how had it -foreseen this end? - -"Did you know this would happen?" he asked. - -"Plant mechanics are always getting marooned," said the bird. "We've -gathered up quite a few. They work with the plant and a plant belongs -on a planet. The rhythm is different from that of a machine." - - * * * * * - -He knew that. He could feel it, though he had never put it into words. -"Go tell them where I am," he said. "I can live until they send a ship." - -"A ship?" said the bird. "So slow? They don't believe in waiting. -They've got all the beautiful planets that men don't want--just for -the asking, though they don't have to ask. They need the right kind of -people to live on them." - -They didn't believe in waiting. A shadow fell across his face. Alsint -looked up. Something was dropping down from the sky. Not a ship--not -the conventional kind, anyway. It was the kind _they_ would use. On -planets on which all the food was grown naturally and no heavy elements -were needed, what would be transported? People. - -Not moving a wing, it came down, first fast and then slow. It stood in -front of him, towering, a giant abstract figure of a woman with wings. -There was frost on it. - -He went to it and it covered him with wings. - -There was no sensation at all except cold, which lasted only a few -seconds. When he opened his eyes, the strange, beautiful ship was -dropping down on another planet, more pleasant than the last. Men and -women were coming out of the houses to meet him. One of them looked -something like Larienne. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Growing Season, by F. L. 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