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| committer | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-01-27 18:35:15 -0800 |
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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..1b58f8d --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #60947 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/60947) diff --git a/old/60947-h.zip b/old/60947-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index d0d9129..0000000 --- a/old/60947-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60947-h/60947-h.htm b/old/60947-h/60947-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index 076d239..0000000 --- a/old/60947-h/60947-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,2090 +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 A Tourist Named Death, by Christopher Anvil. - </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; } - -.ph2 { text-align: center; text-indent: 0em; } -.ph2 { font-size: medium; margin: .83em auto; } - -.blockquot { - margin-left: 5%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - - - </style> - </head> -<body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Tourist Named Death, by Christopher Anvil - -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: A Tourist Named Death - -Author: Christopher Anvil - -Release Date: December 17, 2019 [EBook #60947] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A TOURIST NAMED DEATH *** - - - - -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="340" height="500" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="titlepage"> - -<p class="ph1"><i>There was something rotten in the<br /> -planet named Truth ... rotten enough<br /> -to call for the intervention of ... </i></p> - -<h1>A Tourist Named Death</h1> - -<h2>By CHRISTOPHER ANVIL</h2> - -<p>[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from<br /> -Worlds of If Science Fiction, May 1960.<br /> -Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that<br /> -the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]</p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus1.jpg" width="416" height="500" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Dan Redman walked swiftly and quietly down the broad hallway toward a -door lettered:</p> - -<p class="ph2">A SECTION<br /> -J. KIELGAARD<br /> -DIRECTOR</p> - -<p>As Dan opened the door, his trained glance caught the brief reflection -of a strange, strong-featured face, and a lithe, powerful, and -unfamiliar physique. Dan accepted this unfamiliar reflection of himself -as an actor accepts makeup. What puzzled him was the peculiar silent -smoothness with which his hand turned the knob, while his shoulder -braced firmly and easily against the opening door. He stepped into the -room in one sudden quiet motion.</p> - -<p>The receptionist inside gave a visible start.</p> - -<p>What kind of a job, Dan asked himself, did Kielgaard have for him this -time?</p> - -<p>The receptionist recovered her poise, to usher Dan into the inner -office.</p> - -<p>Kielgaard—big, stocky, and expensively dressed—glanced up from a -sheaf of glossy photographs. He said bluntly, "Sit down. We've got a -mess to straighten out."</p> - -<p>"What's wrong?"</p> - -<p>"A few years back, Galactic Enterprises discovered a totally -undeveloped planet with no inhabitants. They claimed development rights -and got to work to find an economical route to the planet, which is -called Triax."</p> - -<p>Kielgaard snapped a switch on the edge of his desk and the room lights -dimmed out. Three stellar maps seemed to hang in space in front of Dan, -one map directly above the other.</p> - -<p>Kielgaard's voice said, "Galactic found a route to Triax that promised -to be very economical. Watch."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>On the lowest map, the word "Earth" lit up, and a silver line grew out -from it along the stellar map, then jumped up in a vertical straight -line to the second map, traveled along this map almost to a place where -the word "Truth" lit up. The line then jumped straight up to the third -map and traveled along it to the word "Triax."</p> - -<p>The room lighted and the maps vanished.</p> - -<p>Kielgaard said, "In two subspace jumps and not too much normal-space -traveling, Galactic can ship a cargo from Triax to Earth. That's a -good, short route, but it comes too close to that planet called Truth."</p> - -<p>Dan said, "Truth is the native name for the planet?"</p> - -<p>"Exactly. Truth is inhabited. The inhabitants look much like us, -and they're very highly developed technologically, though there is -no sign that they use space travel in any form. The problem is that -Galactic's cargo ships will pass close enough to Truth so that the -inhabitants—call them Truthians—will eventually detect them and may -or may not like the idea. Galactic's worry is that after sinking a lot -of money into the development of Triax, and just as it's about to make -a profit on the planet, these Truthians may blossom out with a fleet of -commerce raiders, or else claim sovereignty over all contiguous space -and land Galactic in a big court fight." Kielgaard glanced at Dan with -a smile. "Suppose you were running Galactic and had this problem. What -would you do?"</p> - -<p>"Try to vary the route. But subspace being what it is, a mild variation -of the starting point can produce an abrupt shift in the place where -they come out."</p> - -<p>Kielgaard nodded. "There's probably a usable route, but there's no -telling when they'll find it. Meanwhile, the development license only -runs so long before Galactic has to show proof of progress."</p> - -<p>"What's this Truth look like?"</p> - -<p>"Earth-type, with cities and towns scattered over its surface at -random, some of the cities remarkably advanced, some antique, with -forest and wilderness in between, and only haphazard communications -between cities."</p> - -<p>Dan frowned. "Well, then, I'd set down an information team, brain-spy -some of the inhabitants, and ease agents into key cities and towns. At -the same time, I'd go on looking for a new route, and do enough work on -Triax to keep the development license. When things clear up on Truth, -I'd develop Triax further."</p> - -<p>Kielgaard nodded. "A sound and sensible plan. That is exactly what -Galactic did. And after a slow start, things began to straighten out -very nicely, too. The more Truth cleared up, the more Galactic invested -in Triax. And then, one day, this photograph came in."</p> - -<p>Kielgaard held out a photograph showing a busy street corner in a city -at night. A brightly clothed crowd was walking along the sidewalk past -store windows showing a variety of merchandise.</p> - -<p>Kielgaard said, "Look down that street. You see a low building, part -way down the block, with a wide chimney?"</p> - -<p>"Yes," said Dan, "I see it."</p> - -<p>"Look just above the top of the chimney."</p> - -<p>"You mean this arrow-shaped constellation?"</p> - -<p>Kielgaard nodded. "There is no such arrow-shaped constellation visible -from Truth."</p> - -<p>"Then this photo is a fake?"</p> - -<p>"They're all fakes. What apparently happened is that someone managed -to get a spy into Galactic's planning division, and through him found -out when and where Galactic's agents were to be set down. They grabbed -the agents one by one soon after each agent landed. Since then, they've -sent back reports to build up a purely synthetic picture of the planet. -The only reports Galactic can rely on are the original impressions of -the information team they set down to begin with."</p> - -<p>Dan whistled. "So someone is working Galactic into position to jerk the -rug out from under it."</p> - -<p>"Exactly."</p> - -<p>"What's Galactic doing?"</p> - -<p>"They're trying hard to keep this quiet. But meanwhile, no one knows -for sure who the spy is."</p> - -<p>"A nice situation," said Dan. "What do we do about this planet Truth?"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>"Well," said Kielgaard, "the first thing we do is set a man down and -let him get the lay of the land. We get more agents ready to move in -right behind him. We intend to use the best men available, and nothing -but the latest and best equipment. If things turn out as we intend -them to, whatever organization started this will come out slit up the -middle, stuffed, roasted, and with an apple in its mouth."</p> - -<p>Dan said cautiously, "Who's the first agent we set down on this planet?"</p> - -<p>"You," said Kielgaard. "And you're going to be up against a deadly -proposition. Our opponent is established on the planet, and we're -going in cold. Fortunately, we've sunk a good part of our profits into -research and it's about to pay off. We have, for instance, installed in -your body cavity a remarkably small organo-transceiver. It uses a new -type of signal which should escape detection under any circumstances -you're likely to face on Truth."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>"So I can be more or less constantly in touch with you?"</p> - -<p>"In any period of relative calm, yes. During violent action, the -interference of other currents in your brain would drown out the -signal. But we've also run a series of delicate taps to your optic and -auditory nerves, so we should have continuous contact by sight and -sound."</p> - -<p>"You mentioned that the cities and towns on the planet were separated -by wilderness. How do I travel?"</p> - -<p>"We have a new type of unusually small mataform transceiver." Kielgaard -reached in a drawer and tossed on his desk a smooth olive-colored -object little larger than a package of cigarettes. "The range is only a -few hundred miles, but it uses the new type of signal I've mentioned, -which eliminates the problem of orbiting a set of satellites to relay -the signal. The problem of first putting the mataform transceiver in -the place where you want to go is tricky, but we have a little glider -that ought to do the trick."</p> - -<p>He showed Dan how to use the glider, and several other new items of -equipment, then frowned and sat back. "The worst of this is, we don't -know exactly what to expect on the planet. Some big organization could -even be trying to take over the planetary government. If so, a lot will -depend on what stage things are in when you land. To give you as much -chance as possible, your body has been carefully restructured to give -you exceptional strength and endurance. The neuro-conditioning lab has -recreated in your nervous system the reflexes of one of the deadliest -agents ever known. Don't be surprised if you perform certain actions -almost before you're aware of your own intentions. It has to be that -way to cut down the risks."</p> - -<p>Dan and Kielgaard shook hands, and Dan went out to check his equipment.</p> - -<p>Early the next day, he was on a fast spaceship to the planet called -Truth.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Dan was dropped low over the night side of the planet in a vaned -capsule that whirled straight down, burst open on contact with the -water, and sank. From this capsule, a small boat nosed out toward the -coast.</p> - -<p>In the cramped space inside, Dan checked a little gauge to be sure the -boat's outer layer had adjusted to the water around it, so that there -would be no sharp difference in the radiation of heat to show up on any -infrared detector that might be in range. Then the boat nosed down with -a <i>suck-swish</i> from the water-jet engine and began to pick up speed.</p> - -<p>Several hours later, a thin flexible cable shot out from shallow water -at the edge of the junglelike coastline. The cable whipped around the -trunk of a tree well back from the water's edge, there was a faint low -hum, a grating noise, and something slid up over the rocks and pebbles -and came to rest among the tangled trunks and roots of the trees. A -moment later, Dan was out and dragging the boat further inland.</p> - -<p>When he was satisfied that the boat was safe, he glanced at his watch. -The planet's large moon should soon be up and he intended to waste no -time making his position more secure.</p> - -<p>He broke open a carton of the little mataform transceivers, clipped -several of them on small, almost completely transparent gliders, and -checked to be sure the little auxiliary motors of the gliders were in -working order. He slid on a helmet that fit tightly over his head and -eyes, and sent up the first glider. As the faint whir of the small -engine receded, Dan could see before him in the helmet a clear view of -the sea, with the thin rim of the planet's moon just rising, huge and -blood-red, over the horizon.</p> - -<p>The small sensor unit on the glider sent back an image from a safe -height above the forest, and Dan switched the helmet from this glider -long enough to send up another.</p> - -<p>By dawn, he had landed gliders, with their small mataform transceivers, -in isolated spots outside three moderate-sized cities within range of -the boat. Dan then took another of the mataform units and buried it. -Standing nearby, he mentally pronounced a key word.</p> - -<p>As he did this, the electro-chemical change in a nervous tract -triggered a tiny implanted device that sent its imperceptible signal -to the mataform transceiver. The transceiver interpreted the signal, -and for an instant Dan sensed a shift in the pattern of things around -him.</p> - -<p>Abruptly he was standing in the clearing where he had brought down -the first glider. Around him were several tall wind-thrown trees. In -the gray light of early dawn, he could barely make out the glider and -little mataform unit clipped to it. A few minutes later, the unit was -temporarily hidden, he had returned the glider to the boat, and he was -picking up the second glider in a badly burned tract of forest near the -second city.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>When the three mataform units were all hidden, Dan paused for a moment -to think through the next step. The three gliders, invisible to the -naked eye as they passed high above the tree tops, might possibly have -shown up on any of a number of detection devices, to give away both the -starting point and the places where they had landed. It was now Dan's -problem to outwit these detection devices.</p> - -<p>Dan clipped another mataform transceiver to a glider, put on the -control helmet, and sent the glider dodging low and carefully through -the trees. He found a spot about two miles away that suited him -and landed the glider. He swiftly unloaded the boat and carried its -contents to the buried mataform unit, where he mentally pronounced a -new key word, which triggered the unit and took him to the glider and -transceiver he had just landed. In a short time, he had the contents of -the boat stacked beside the glider.</p> - -<p>Dan then disassembled the boat and engine, and stacked the parts beside -the boat's piled-up contents. By now, the sun was well up, and Dan -was becoming aware of a thrumming drone that grew steadily louder. He -quickly dug up the buried mataform unit, clipped it to a glider, and -hung the glider to an overhead limb by a green string, knotted so as to -come undone at the first sharp pull.</p> - -<p>Dan glanced around carefully and listened to the increasing drone. He -looked up and studied a bumpy blue-green limb well overhead. This limb -was located so that a spy unit on it would cover most of the place -where the boat had been. Dan carefully gauged the speed with which the -droning was coming closer, then went by the mataform to the pile of -goods he had transferred, came back with a long tube, and sighted at -the overhead limb. There was a <i>whoosh</i> and a small colorless blob with -a tiny bump in the center spread out on the limb. The blob gradually -turned blue-gray, matching the limb, and then the spy unit was -indistinguishable from the limb's other bumps and irregularities.</p> - -<p>The droning noise was now quite loud.</p> - -<p>Dan went by the mataform to his new camp and put on the helmet he used -to control the glider.</p> - -<p>An instant later, the glider gave a whir and jerked forward. The knot -came untied, and the glider, carrying the mataform unit and a length of -dark-green string, flitted out of sight amid the big tree trunks.</p> - -<p>Dan, his hand on a knob at the side of the helmet, shifted his vision -rapidly back and forth from the glider to the spy unit over the spot -where the boat had been.</p> - -<p>There now came into view, in the place where the boat had been, -something that looked like a cross between an oversize bloodhound and a -tiger. Right behind this came a man with a rifle. Then another man, and -another. The angle of vision did not let Dan see exactly where the men -came from, but he supposed there was a jetcopter just overhead.</p> - -<p>The tiger-like animal snuffled around, pawed at the ground, made trips -into the jungle on all sides, and finally ran back toward the shore. -The men followed close behind.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Dan, shifting his attention back and forth from this scene to the -glider, landed the glider nearby, just as the last of the men left the -place where the boat had been. Dan quickly went to each of the three -places near cities where he had landed the mataform transceivers, and -moved each of them by glider well away from the places where they had -landed. He left behind in each place a small spy unit.</p> - -<p>He had just finished doing this when several loads of heavily armed men -in jetcopters came down in all three places. The men, Dan noticed, wore -no uniforms, and the copters were unmarked.</p> - -<p>Dan said mentally, "Can you hear me, Kielgaard?"</p> - -<p>"Loud and clear," came the familiar voice. "We're getting sight and -sound perfectly."</p> - -<p>"Have you got your corps of experts working on everything that comes -in?"</p> - -<p>"Naturally," said Kielgaard. "But I wouldn't advise you to stop and -chat right now. Those boys seem to mean business."</p> - -<p>"Do they look like planetary police to you?"</p> - -<p>"No. They don't look like anything that was born on that planet."</p> - -<p>"That's exactly the way they strike me. Well, maybe I can make them -some more trouble."</p> - -<p>Dan got out a map and noted a long, fairly straight road from one -of the cities, near which he had a mataform transceiver, to another -distant city. From this distant city, a winding river curled away to a -city even more distant. That night, Dan intended to make use of road -and river alike. But right now, he spent an hour or so moving his goods -to a place further away from the landing; then he partly reassembled -the boat, and cat-napped till evening. He was awoken at frequent -intervals by sudden drops of men and more of the tiger-like animals, at -each of the four places where they had been before. Each time there was -sudden activity at one of these places, a little alarm buzzed in Dan's -ear, and he slid on the helmet to watch a renewed search of the ground.</p> - -<p>He had the impression that someone had reported nothing was to be -found, and that this word had been passed along to someone who had said -there <i>must</i> be something there, and it had better be found or else. -The search this time was much more careful. But it was not till the -last place was searched that one of them came very close to the spy -unit, and reached out toward it.</p> - -<p>Dan regretfully slid back a protective cover at the lower edge of the -helmet and pressed a button underneath. There was a dazzling flash, -and then the scene was gone.</p> - -<p>Dan would much rather have kept them thinking that maybe there was -nothing to look for after all. But he could tell from their numbers -and zeal that he was not likely to have very much his own way on this -planet.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>That night, Dan sent a glider under power down the long road to the -distant city. The glider was low enough to avoid the usual detectors, -but happily free of the need to dodge an endless succession of tree -trunks. The river served much the same purpose, so that well before -dawn, Dan had mataform transceivers planted near each of the two new -cities, and also at a place right at the edge of the river. From -this spot, Dan threw out into the river a heavily weighted mataform -transceiver. He returned to the partly assembled boat and methodically -put it together again. This time, however, he fitted sections together -differently and left the heavy engine out entirely. He put his arms -around one end of the thing he had put together and mentally said a -keyword.</p> - -<p>The river water rushed coldly around him, gritty with silt sweeping -along the bottom. There was a <i>chug</i> in his ears as the water triggered -off the grab anchors around the rim of the shelter. Dan said another -key word and he was inside. He snapped on a light and looked carefully -around, but found no sign of a leak.</p> - -<p>He transferred the rest of his goods, checked to see that the selective -membrane panel was keeping the oxygen at the right level inside, then -lay down to catch up on sleep.</p> - -<p>The following day, he took three of his small transceivers, and went by -the mataform to a place outside the nearest city.</p> - -<p>A short walk along a winding trail took Dan past a series of huts and -cabins to a rough covered stand displaying combs, brooms, and other -simple merchandise, along with a dusty case of what looked like soda -pop, and a dust-covered carton of what appeared to be candy bars. -The soda pop was labeled "GAS," and the candy had a card labeled -"TOOTHROT." The girl in charge of the stand smiled and said, "Good -morning, Death."</p> - -<p>There was no one else around, and the girl spoke in a perfectly natural -way, so Dan smiled back and said, "Good morning."</p> - -<p>But as he walked on down the trail, he said mentally, "Kielgaard?"</p> - -<p>Kielgaard's voice replied, "I heard it, Dan. We're checking at this -end to see if it's some error in the vocabulary we implanted in your -brain." A moment later, Kielgaard said, "As nearly as we can tell -here, 'Death' is the word she used."</p> - -<p>"Funny."</p> - -<p>Dan rounded a bend in the trail and came to a moderately wide road, -paved with smooth blocks of stone. To his right was a wall about ten -feet high, with an open gate and a city street visible behind it. From -somewhere came the steady beat of a drum. Dan started toward the gate, -but had to jump aside as a heavily armed column of troops marched out, -their faces set and their feet striking the ground in an unvarying -cadence.</p> - -<p>As the last of the troops went by, a man standing nearby turned to Dan -and said, "Well, there they go. We won't be seeing some of them again -in this life."</p> - -<p>Dan nodded noncommittally, and the man looked at him sharply, then -grinned and said, "Good hunting."</p> - -<p>"Thank you," said Dan. He could hear a faint muttering somewhere in the -background, which he took to be Kielgaard and his experts, trying to -understand this latest exchange.</p> - -<p>Dan followed the man through the city gates, and walked past a variety -of small shops selling baked goods, meats, groceries, hand tools, -books, and appliances.</p> - -<p>Dan noted the location of the bookstore, so that on the way back he -could buy some books. He wanted to transmit the contents of the books; -the staff of experts could learn a great deal from a cross-section of a -planet's fiction and non-fiction.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>As Dan walked toward the center of the city, he noted that the -buildings grew larger, and the shops turned into big department stores. -These all looked much the same as the ones on Earth, or on many other -technologically advanced planets. The merchandise showed only minor -differences in design. Looking in a hardware store, for instance, Dan -discovered that ordinary screwdrivers had a short curved crosspiece -on the handle—apparently a thumb rest to give greater leverage in -turning. Aside from such minor differences, everything seemed the same.</p> - -<p>Dan had just decided that the planet looked almost like home when -he came to a low building with a paved yard. Into the yard trundled -several small carts, similar to the kind used to transfer baggage in -railroad and mataform depots back home. On these carts, however, were -canvas covers, which were thrown back to reveal fully clothed human -forms. On all but one cart, the human forms wore the same kind of -white garment, trimmed in various colors. These forms—bodies, Dan -supposed—were lifted from the carts by attendants who handled them -with the greatest care and respect.</p> - -<p>On the other cart, though, the bodies wore street clothes. These bodies -were grabbed under the arms, dragged to a black door like the door of a -furnace, set in the wall of the building, and shoved through the door -head first. As the bodies were shoved in, Dan saw the sunlight glint on -what looked like tight metal cords around their necks, bearing oblong -metal tags.</p> - -<p>Several men had stopped while Dan glanced in to watch this scene. Dan -now overheard their comments, which were made in tense angry tones:</p> - -<p>"Look at that. If this referendum isn't over soon, it'll dust the lot -of us over the forest."</p> - -<p>"It's all these charges and accusations that make the trouble. Why we -can't do it like civilized human beings, I don't know."</p> - -<p>"The trouble is, there's no precedent."</p> - -<p>The men walked away.</p> - -<p>Dan had the out-of-focus sensation of a man who comes into a room where -a joke has already been half-told.</p> - -<p>He glanced at the low building. "Are you getting all this, Kielgaard?"</p> - -<p>"We're getting it. But I hope it makes more sense to you than it does -to us."</p> - -<p>"Well, it doesn't."</p> - -<p>Dan glanced around, noted the discreet word "DISPOSAL" -printed on the face of the small building where the bodies were shoved -through what looked like a furnace door. Dan thought he could see what -was going on here, but the reasons for the things that were happening -were totally obscure to him.</p> - -<p>It was in the next block that he began to get some sort of an idea, -when he saw a large poster bearing a blue triangle standing point down. -Stamped over this triangle were large letters: VOTE YES!</p> - -<p>Several blocks away was a big poster showing a green triangle, its base -down, and bearing the words: VOTE NO!</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Both posters were dented, scratched, and spattered, as if stones -and rotten fruit had been thrown at them. But, though Dan watched -carefully as he walked on toward the center of the city, he saw no clue -as to what the voting was about. He was also puzzled to find that, -though there were many stores, and a fair number of what looked like -hotels, office buildings, and apartment houses, there seemed to be no -factories, large or small.</p> - -<p>The people passing here were another source of uncertainty. As Dan -approached the center of the city, he began to sense the peculiar air -of freedom that he had noticed in resort towns on a dozen planets. And -yet this did not look to him like a resort town. Moreover, it was hard -to gauge the mood of the people passing by, because nearly all seemed -to react to his presence in some way. Some looked suddenly alarmed, -a few looked furtive, others seemed pleased and smiled at him. A -considerable number of the women had a thrilled look when they saw him.</p> - -<p>Dan walked another block and saw part of the reason for the resort-town -atmosphere. Across the street was a sweeping expanse of green. In the -far end of this green was an enormous swimming pool, with floats and -concrete islands dotted through it to hold diving boards that were -almost constantly in use.</p> - -<p>Dan, wanting to watch the passersby without their watching him, -stepped into a quiet, old-fashioned-looking bookstore that fronted on -the green. He looked out the many-paned front window and immediately -noticed a change in the people. Without his inexplicably disturbing -influence, nearly all of the people fell into two distinct categories. -One group had a depressed and angry look. The other group looked -cheerful and carefree. Aside from their mood, they didn't seem to -differ noticeably in dress, age, or any other way.</p> - -<p>Dan glanced around the bookstore and saw that it, like the other -stores, could be transplanted to Earth, and—except for the unfamiliar -lettering on storefront and book titles—would hardly be noticed. He -nodded to an elderly woman working at a small desk to one side of the -store, then walked to the rear, where the stacks of books left a far -corner partially in shadow and out of sight from the front of the -store. Dan stooped, glanced at the dusty row of books on the bottom -shelf, and slid a mataform transceiver behind the books.</p> - -<p>He walked back to the front of the store, stepped out on the sidewalk, -and saw a cart come slowly along in the street. This was the kind of -cart he had seen earlier. The outstretched figures of men lay bumping -loosely on the cart, metal cords with oblong tags tight around their -necks. Dan stepped over to note that the tags he could see all read:</p> - -<p class="ph2">—KILL—<br /> -UNAUTHORIZED</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>There was a buzz of indignation from the crowd on the sidewalk as the -cart went by.</p> - -<p>Then there was a sudden silence.</p> - -<p>Dan glanced around.</p> - -<p>Walking along the sidewalk toward him was a man about his own height -and build, who moved with controlled catlike steps.</p> - -<p>The man looked directly at Dan and called out: "Hello, Death!"</p> - -<p>The people on the sidewalk rushed to get out of the way. Abruptly the -man's arm swung back and forward.</p> - -<p>"Catch."</p> - -<p>Something flashed in the air.</p> - -<p>Dan's impulse was to jump aside, then tackle the man. Instead, his -body turned slightly. His right hand, already partly raised, whipped -in a short arc, caught something, flicked it to his left, and blurred -straight out again.</p> - -<p>The man opposite Dan blinked and jumped aside.</p> - -<p>At the same instant, Dan's left hand shot out.</p> - -<p>There was a gasp from the crowd. The man collapsed with the butt of a -knife jutting from his chest.</p> - -<p>A voice behind Dan said warmly, "Superb! A return attack complete in -one stroke!"</p> - -<p>Dan turned to see three alert, strong-looking men. One counted bills -from a thick roll. The second opened up a square case with carrying -handle. The third was unwinding an armband with a badge on it.</p> - -<p>The man with the case held it out. "If you'll just put your fingertips -on these plates, so we'll be sure to get your mating credits—"</p> - -<p>Dan sensed from the waiting attitude of the people watching that this -was some kind of test. Unhesitatingly, he held out his fingertips. -There were also two bright flashes as a small tube was held to Dan's -eyes.</p> - -<p>Once Dan could see again, everyone seemed relaxed and friendly. The -crowd was excitedly arguing the details of what had happened. The man -with the roll of bills handed over a small fistful, saying, "Double, -for the return at one stroke."</p> - -<p>The man with the armband put it on Dan's arm as he rapidly recited the -words of some rote formula, of which all Dan caught was a frequent -reference to "the Code," and the words "peril and deadly danger," and -the last words, "now say, 'I do.'"</p> - -<p>"I do," said Dan, fervently wishing he were somewhere else.</p> - -<p>The man with the case was beaming as he snapped the little rod inside. -He said genially, "I always know an honest fight when I see it. And -these days it's a real pleasure to—"</p> - -<p>Just then, he clapped the case shut.</p> - -<p>The case gave out a clang like the general alarm on a space cruiser -under surprise attack.</p> - -<p>The crowd gave a shout. "Unauthorized kill!"</p> - -<p>The three men beside Dan jumped forward.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus2.jpg" width="202" height="500" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Dan's left hand lashed out to smash the nearest of the three men in -the midsection. The flat edge of his right hand struck the second man -just below the nose; then Dan had thrown the first man back against the -third, had whirled around and seen the crowd start to surge across the -sidewalk to block his escape. He sprinted directly past this crowd, so -that when it completely blocked the sidewalk an instant later, he was -cut off from the view of the three men he had just knocked down.</p> - -<p>Dan did not doubt that these three men were officials of the planet, -and he strongly suspected that they were armed and knew how to use -their weapons.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Across the street, at the edge of one corner of the green, was a tall -hedge of flowering shrubs, back of which was a grove of young trees. -Dan dodged past carts and small, square, silent automobiles, and ran -through this hedge. Behind him there was a shout of anger.</p> - -<p>To Dan's left were two young trees, growing close together. Dan still -had with him two of his little mataform units, and he quickly thrust -one of them between the two dark, slender tree trunks.</p> - -<p>An instant later, he was in the dark corner of the bookstore, hearing -the angry shouts dwindle into the distance outside. The door of the -store closed as the elderly woman who ran the store stepped outside, -apparently to see what had happened.</p> - -<p>A moment later, Dan was in the shelter under the river. He worked -quickly with a small brush and some dye, then got out another set of -clothes. He checked his appearance swiftly and thoroughly.</p> - -<p>Then with more of a tanned look than he had had before, with much -darker hair, and wearing entirely different clothes, Dan mataformed -back to the bookstore. The elderly woman was standing by the front -window as he came forward, to pick up a thin scientific volume lying on -a table and say, "I believe you were outside when I came in."</p> - -<p>"Oh," she said, "the most frightful thing just happened." She then gave -a highly inaccurate account of Dan's fight with the knife man, and -described how the crowd was hunting him down right now at the far end -of the park.</p> - -<p>Dan took his change and said, "I'll have to go look."</p> - -<p>He stepped outside and could see the path of the crowd with no -difficulty. The flowering shrubs were flattened, and the ground under -the trees showed the marks of many feet. Dan recovered his mataform -unit and walked a short distance to look down toward the far end of -the green, where the swimmers were all out of the pool—probably so -that it could be searched for Dan.</p> - -<p>He turned around and noticed near the bookstore a large restaurant, -built in a style that made him think of an old English tavern. Several -men looking well contented came out. Dan realized he was hungry.</p> - -<p>He went in, and from a weird merry-go-round serving apparatus got -a steak indistinguishable from those at home, and a selection of -unfamiliar side dishes that looked good to him, but made other diners -nearby wince. Dan paid for his selection and sat down.</p> - -<p>During the meal, someone at a nearby table began to talk loudly, and -someone else shouted, "Spacerot!" There was a momentary hush in the -restaurant, and two burly men in white jackets quickly crossed to -the table and spoke firmly to the diners. Peace was restored, and -the two burly men wove back through several parties just leaving the -restaurant, and separated to stand quietly but alertly near the far -wall.</p> - -<p>As Dan ate, he thought, "Kielgaard!"</p> - -<p>"Right here."</p> - -<p>"Do you make any sense out of what we've seen so far?"</p> - -<p>"I get the impression something's about to snap, but I don't know -what. Or as my experts here tell me, 'It's too early to venture an -opinion.'"</p> - -<p>"That," thought Dan, "is likely to be the trouble with this place. -By the time we find out what's going on, it will be too late to do -anything about it. We're going to have to play hunches to crack this -one in time."</p> - -<p>Kielgaard said fervently, "<i>How</i> we crack it makes no difference to me, -so long as we <i>do</i> crack it."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>While Dan ate, a considerable crowd of people went out the front door, -and two couples came in. The restaurant, however, remained very nearly -full.</p> - -<p>"Something tells me," Dan thought, "that there must be a lot more to -this planet than meets the eye."</p> - -<p>He got up and walked toward the back of the restaurant. What he had -taken for the rear wall turned out to be merely a wall that divided one -section of the restaurant from another equally large, where waitresses -served individual tables.</p> - -<p>A flight of carpeted steps led down to men's and women's rest rooms and -a gently sloping, softly lighted hallway. People were coming up the -hall in considerably greater numbers than they went down, and Dan was -startled to see that they reacted to him exactly as the crowd outside -had, before he had gone into the bookstore to watch them unnoticed.</p> - -<p>Dan went to the men's rest room, washed, and inconspicuously studied -himself in the mirror. He looked very much different than he had -before. Why, then, did the people react in the same way?</p> - -<p>Dan concealed a mataform unit in the dimly lit lounge outside the -washroom, then went out and down the hall. He had gone perhaps thirty -steps when a lithe man coming the other way saw him, whipped out a gun, -and shouted, "<i>Death!</i>"</p> - -<p>One instant Dan was walking down the right side of the hall. A split -fraction of an instant later, he had thrown himself to the other side -of the hall.</p> - -<p>There was a swift, bright flash.</p> - -<p>Someone screamed.</p> - -<p>The gun went spinning and Dan had the man on the floor, both hands -locked at his throat. It was a severe struggle for Dan to loosen his -hands.</p> - -<p>A crowd gathered so quickly that there was scarcely room to stand. A -man carrying a small box with a handle forced his way through. Dan had -his captive, half-unconscious, on his feet. Improvising rapidly, Dan -said, "I think that was unauthorized."</p> - -<p>The man with the carrying case said grimly, "We'll soon find out." He -held the man's fingertips to plates in the case, flashed a small tube -in his eyes, and shut the case. There was a loud clang.</p> - -<p>Two powerfully built men wearing armbands with shields stepped up. One -glanced at Dan and said, "Want to finish him? He's yours, by rights."</p> - -<p>Someone in the crowd said, "<i>Question</i> him! Find out which side is -behind this!"</p> - -<p>The man with the carrying case said sternly, "That's neither here nor -there. The only question is, which side is <i>right</i>?"</p> - -<p>There was a tense silence. It occurred to Dan that this planet might -not be called Truth for nothing. He was still gripping his captive by -the arms and wanted in the worst way to question him. But how, in this -crowd? And then he remembered that he still had one mataform unit with -him.</p> - -<p>The man with the case was saying to the sullen crowd, "Maybe you think -something's wrong. Maybe it is. All right, you know what to do—<i>go to -the War Ruler</i>—"</p> - -<p>Dan mentally pronounced a key word, then opened his hands as he -pronounced another.</p> - -<p>A momentary flash of dense jungle, and then he was in the corridor -again, his prisoner gone.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>It all seemed to take a moment to register. As soon as it did, someone -shouted, "Spacerot!" This word acted on the crowd like a blazing -torch thrown into an explosives shack. They began smashing each other -violently around in the crowded corridor. Dan barely recovered his -mataform unit, which had fallen to the floor when he transferred his -prisoner, and had a rough time merely staying on his feet. The savage -pressing and crowding in the jammed corridor seemed to drive the crowd -to hysteria.</p> - -<p>Dan realized there was no way to tell when he might get loose. For the -second time, he used the mataform unit to get out of the corridor. This -time he went to the shelter under the river. He got some strong cord, -went to the place in the jungle where his prisoner was, and tied him -up. Then he returned to the shelter, fitted a set of small filters in -his nostrils, and went back to the lounge outside the washroom near -the corridor, carrying a small egg-shaped object. Someone happened -to be looking at the spot where he appeared. Dan ignored the staring -onlooker, went out to the corridor, and found that things were even -worse than when he had left.</p> - -<p>He threw the egg-shaped object at the wall of the corridor and ducked -back into the lounge.</p> - -<p>There was a loud <i>bang</i>, followed by a number of smaller explosions. -Abruptly the lounge was filled with bright points of light and little -popping noises. The air was permeated with a gray vapor. The people -in the room sagged in their seats or collapsed on the floor, and Dan -was very careful to breathe only through the filters in his nostrils. -He mentally said a key word and he was in the corridor, standing on a -mound of unconscious people. He worked till he found the transceiver, -went by mataform back to the lounge, took the transceiver there in case -the lounge should be searched, and walked back through the corridor -over heaps of people, picked up the other mataform unit, and went on -down the corridor.</p> - -<p>He wasn't happy about the people behind him. When the concentration of -the drug in the air reached a low enough point, those on top of the -heap were going to come to, then those under them, till there was one -writhing hysterical mass that would be even worse than it had been -before he threw the bomb. The only good feature—if it could be called -that—was that they would all very soon be violently nauseated, with an -urgent need for fresh air, and yet would be too sickened and weak to -head for the outside in a rush.</p> - -<p>Thinking this, Dan rounded a corner and came to a dead stop.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Directly before him was a short, wide, high-ceilinged cross-corridor -with half a dozen doors swinging open as people hurried in, walked -a few paces, and collapsed. Either side of this short hall was made -of shiny metal containing numerous slots. As Dan watched, a man came -through a door, and in one automatic motion jammed a coin in a slot, -ripped off a ticket that popped out another slot, then suddenly blinked -and jerked around to stare at the pile of people on the floor of the -corridor. Then he collapsed.</p> - -<p>Dan glanced from this man to the wall above the doors, which was -brilliant with lights and moving letters, forming a maze that made him -dizzy to look at:</p> - -<p class="ph2">SKL MACH OPS—80L6h4 S<br /> -WANTED ON LEVEL 10<br /> -MNL LBRS-647L25h2*MN<br /> -*MEN WITH FAST REFLE<br /> -PENSES PAID HOUSING</p> - -<p>Dan strode forward and through a door with the numeral "1" over it.</p> - -<p>Directly before him was a short dead-end hallway that abruptly -vanished, and he was walking toward a crowd of hurrying people in an -immense room.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Glancing around, Dan again felt at home. The immense room reminded him -of Grand Central Mataform Terminal back on Earth. One wall even had -the same kind of huge map of the tunnels and cross-tunnels that gave -underground access to stores in the area. But the map here was even -larger and more complex. Near its face were spidery walks and moving -stairways, so that people could examine individual parts from close at -hand if they wanted.</p> - -<p>Dan looked over the terminal carefully, then walked slowly along -looking for a place to hide one of his mataform units. He spotted, near -a door in a corner, a poster on a stand showing a strong young man in -uniform with a series of numbers, apparently dates, stretching out -like a road before him. The stand held a poster on either side, and -there was a place between them where Dan could slip one of the mataform -units. An instant after he did this, he was in the shelter under the -river.</p> - -<p>Quickly, he got out a very light, strong two-man tent, an air mattress, -a hypodermic, and a shiny half-globe with web straps at the back. -He immediately went to the spot in the jungle where he had left his -prisoner and found him thrashing furiously in an attempt to get loose. -Dan injected a small quantity of a fast-acting hypnotic drug, and the -man lay still. Then Dan set up the small tent and got the man inside on -the mattress.</p> - -<p>It was now getting dark outside, and, with the darkness, there was -a rumble of thunder in the distance. Dan went back to the shelter, -returned with a light, and adjusted the half-globe over the man's -face and head, then fastened the straps behind his head. He inserted -in the man's ears two little thimblelike devices, then said mentally, -"Kielgaard?"</p> - -<p>Kielgaard's voice answered, "We'll know in a minute." After a -considerable pause, he said, "Yes, he's responding. Watch."</p> - -<p>Very slowly, the man's right arm lifted from the mattress, then dropped -limply.</p> - -<p>Dan said, "You can handle it all from that end?"</p> - -<p>"Easily. We've got a team here that will do nothing else but question -him."</p> - -<p>Dan nodded, aware that the voices of specially trained psychologists -were now speaking in the man's ears, so that he heard nothing else, -while he saw only what the screen in the half-globe projected directly -into his eyes. Soon he should begin to talk, and what he said would be -transmitted through subspace to Kielgaard's team of questioners. Then -it might be possible to learn something of what was going on on this -planet. But there was another way that might also help.</p> - -<p>Dan glanced at his wristwatch and saw that it was late enough so that -if this were Earth most stores would probably be closed by now. Dan -didn't know how it was on this planet, but he pronounced a key word and -was in the bookstore that faced the green. The bookstore was closed.</p> - -<p>Dan quickly selected an armload of books, brought them back to the -shelter under the river, went back and got another stack of them. -He set up a spidery device of light metal and piled the books near -enough so the feed arms could reach them. A set of rubber-tipped rods -like long skeletal fingers turned the pages, while the scanner on an -overhead arm oscillated from a position over one page to a position -over the other page.</p> - -<p>Dan said, "How's it coming in, Kielgaard?"</p> - -<p>"Speed it up a little."</p> - -<p>Dan moved a small lever. The pages turned more quickly.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Dan said, "We'll see how the feeder works before I leave it." Then he -got out a mirror and went to work to change his appearance again.</p> - -<p>The second book fed in with no difficulty, so Dan took four of his -little mataform units, which was all he had room for, and went back to -the terminal.</p> - -<p>The crowd seemed to have thinned out somewhat, so he supposed the -evening rush was about over. As in terminals nearly everywhere Dan had -been, most of the people moved briskly, intent on their own affairs. No -one paid much attention to Dan while he glanced around, noting the wall -of flashing lights and moving letters, similar to but far larger than -the one he had seen before, and a series of sizable blocky structures -with large numerals suspended above them, and the stylized outlines -of doorways on their four walls. People appeared in front of these -doorways, or strolled directly toward them and vanished, hesitating -only when a red glow outlined the door to show that someone was coming -through from the other side.</p> - -<p>In the center of the room toward either end were large silvery -structures with the word "Information" hanging above them. Dan went -to one and found that vertical blue lines divided it into twenty-four -sections, with room left over for more that weren't there as yet, plus -a section headed "General Information."</p> - -<p>Dan studied the numerous slots, went to the General Information -section and spent most of his change. He sat down with a small package -of maps and folders and soon had before him a cross-sectional drawing -showing a series of spherical layers one inside the other, labeled, -"Level 1—Retail," "Level 2—Retail," "Level 3—Wholesale," "Level -4—Manufacturing," and so on, numbered from the outside in toward the -center of the sphere, from one to twenty-five.</p> - -<p>Dan sat perfectly still for a moment, looking at this. He leafed -carefully though the folders, and was soon convinced that this wasn't a -map of underground layers under just one city, but of an interconnected -system that appeared to stretch over most of the planet. The surface -was labeled, "Recreation—Ordeals—General."</p> - -<p>The complex of underground layers seemed to be much thicker than -separate floors of a building would be; the map showed cross-sections -of buildings of many stories in the individual layers.</p> - -<p>Dan studied the map further and found that Level 10 was marked, -"Coordination—Government." Dan walked to the information machine -and came back with a general map of Level 10, which was divided into -sixteen sections. Sections 4 and 5 were headed "Government Sections," -and Dan got large-scale maps of each of them.</p> - -<p>What he was looking at was being reproduced far away on big screens, -and instantly recorded, to be examined in detail by staffs of trained -men. He was thankful this was so. The map was a maze of colored lines, -blocks, and curves, with numbered lists up and down both sides and -across the bottom.</p> - -<p>Abruptly, Kielgaard's voice said, "Dan, see that dark purple oval a -little to the left of the center of the page?"</p> - -<p>"I see it." Dan glanced from the number to the list at the side of the -page and read, "War Ruler's Control Center."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Kielgaard said, "The staff going over those books thinks there is some -sort of an arrangement by which a 'war ruler' takes over absolute power -in an emergency. What would be a better way to take over the planet -than to get control of this War Ruler and then provoke an emergency?"</p> - -<p>Dan studied the purple oval on the map. "Yes. But what do we do about -it?"</p> - -<p>"The first of your reinforcements will be coming down tonight. If you -can get near that control center and plant a few transceivers, we might -be able to make a good deal of trouble for anyone who may have seized -it."</p> - -<p>"I'll do my best," said Dan. He got up, put most of the maps and -folders into a locker, and bought a ticket for Level 10, Section 4. As -he turned, he noticed two men standing about twenty feet away, talking. -On impulse, Dan went, not to the block that would take him to Level -10, but instead toward the station that his pamphlet had told him -would take him to Section 6 of the same level he was on. As he rounded -a corner and strode up a deserted corridor, he stooped and slid a -mataform unit into the space between a waste container and the wall.</p> - -<p>An instant later, he was back beside the posters where he had hidden a -transceiver earlier.</p> - -<p>Two men were walking in the same direction he had gone.</p> - -<p>Dan followed them till they vanished, walking very rapidly now, around -another corner.</p> - -<p>He picked up the mataform transceiver and looked around for the blocky -structure with the big number "10" over it. He saw it, after a moment, -near the wall with the lights and moving letters on it.</p> - -<p>"Kielgaard," he thought, "what do you suppose that wall is?"</p> - -<p>"We think it's a sort of abbreviated classified ad arrangement."</p> - -<p>"Sounds reasonable," Dan thought.</p> - -<p>Dan was by now near the blocky structure with the big numeral "10" -above it. Each of the four faces of the structure had four large doors -outlined on it—one door for each of the sixteen sections of the -level. Dan stepped up to the door marked "4" and it was immediately -outlined in red. A voice said, "Travelers are reminded of the special -restrictions now enforced at the governmental sections. To enter, you -must present valid authorization papers, or state an acceptable reason -for entering."</p> - -<p>Dan stood perfectly still. He was fairly sure now that he must get into -this section. But how?</p> - -<p>At that moment, the lights of the huge wall of moving letters caught -his attention, and Kielgaard's voice said, "Dan, look to the left, -about halfway up."</p> - -<p>Dan looked and saw moving letters spell out:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>S WANTED ON LEVEL 10 ALL CREDITS PAID SHORT TERM EMPLOYMENT<br /> -*MEN WITH FAST REFLEXES WANTED ON LEVEL 10</p></div> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Dan realized he had seen parts of this ad spelled out twice at the -terminal entrance. He didn't know if it was a trap or something he -could use. He said, "I'm interested in a job on Level 10."</p> - -<p>"You have examined the record?"</p> - -<p>Dan had no idea what this meant. He said, "I understand men with fast -reflexes are wanted on Level 10."</p> - -<p>"One moment."</p> - -<p>There was a short pause, then a new voice. "What we offer you is a -special credit allotment sufficient for all normal mating and purchase -needs. On account of these latest restrictions, I can't tell you -exactly what the job is, but I can say this: The rewards are great. But -you also might end up getting sprinkled over the forest. We've got a -situation down here that has to be cleaned up fast. With the special -referendum tomorrow, it might boil over and make an interstellar mess. -We want you for a night's work. At the end you're either rich or dead. -How about it?"</p> - -<p>Dan thought of the two words "interstellar mess," used in connection -with a "special referendum." He had the sensation that he was getting -close.</p> - -<p>"All right," he said.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>There was a blur as mataform stations shuttled him from one place to -the next. Then he was walking into a large room holding about thirty -men, all of whom had something of the look of big cats alert for prey.</p> - -<p>Dan had hardly come in when a lithe man walked out on a raised -platform, looked over the waiting men, and said, "I'd like to wait till -there are more of us, but there isn't time. I'll come to the point -without delay. I'll only explain it once, so listen carefully.</p> - -<p>"On this level, we have the War Ruler's control center. Two levels up, -there is the planetary zoo. Among the animals in the zoo is an ape -about our size and general shape, with a thick layer of fur, strong -muscles, and a sense of humor like a white-hot rivet dropped down your -collar. By some process I don't understand, about fifty of these apes -have gotten into a storeroom in an arms depot attached to the control -center.</p> - -<p>"With this referendum coming up to decide whether we should join the -Stellar Union, every time there is a disturbance the election committee -blames it on one faction or another. Using their emergency powers, they -then clap on some new restriction to keep order till the referendum is -over. If there is now a disturbance near the control center itself, -tempers are going to shorten further. If the blame should be stuck on -one side or the other, true or untrue, it could swing the vote either -way.</p> - -<p>"We have got to get those apes out of the arms depot right away. The -trouble is, there's an alarm in the arms depot that can't be shut off -except from the control center. Fire any kind of impact or vibration -weapon in there, or change the composition of the atmosphere by pouring -in gas, and the alarm automatically goes off in guard stations all over -this level. If we had more time, we could starve them out. We don't -have the time.</p> - -<p>"The result is that we have to go after them with knives and clubs. -Now, the apes are fast, they gang up, they throw things, and if they -can, they'll grab you from opposite sides and pull your arms and legs -off. That's very funny—for them. So we'll have to work together as a -team and fight as hard as we know how."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>After the speaker finished, there was a silence in the room. Dan was -thinking over the idea and he liked nothing about it. He had little -enough time to do his job, and he did not want to spend it being pulled -to pieces by apes. He called out, "Mind if I make a suggestion?"</p> - -<p>"I'm willing to try anything. Let's hear it."</p> - -<p>Dan said, "I don't know about anybody else here, but I am no team -player myself. Let me go in alone first. You wait half an hour and then -come in and see if there are fifty apes left."</p> - -<p>Everyone craned to see who was offering to fight fifty wild apes -singlehanded.</p> - -<p>The man on the platform turned pale, but said, "Agreed. And if you win, -you received the combined credits of all."</p> - -<p>Dan found himself walking down a corridor, surrounded by well-wishers, -to a room where several tables were loaded with hand-weapons. He picked -up a short weighted club, and a short double-edge, razor-sharp sword. A -few minutes later, he arrived at a heavy metal door studded with rivets -and painted green.</p> - -<p>Dan had intended to hide a transceiver nearby on the outside and -spend as little time in the storeroom as possible. But everything had -happened so fast, and there were so many eyes watching him, that he had -no chance to hide a mataform unit anywhere.</p> - -<p>There was a loud clang as the heavy door swung shut behind him. Then he -was in a big dimly lighted room with a twelve-foot aisle running down -the center, a narrower aisle along each wall, and high piles of wooden -crates and wirebound heavy cardboard cartons spaced five feet apart -to either side of the central aisle. There was a strong smell of damp -dirty fur. On the floor partway up the aisle lay what looked like a -clothed human arm.</p> - -<p>From the far end of the building came a series of low gruff barks. A -humping motion ran along like a wave up the aisle and over the piles of -crates toward Dan.</p> - -<p>He glanced briefly to either side at the solid concrete walls of the -building, felt behind him. The door was locked.</p> - -<p>It flashed through his mind that up till now he had had good luck on -this planet.</p> - -<p>Dan saw, in the nearest corner of the room, several pipes that ran -up from the floor and were bent to travel along near the ceiling. He -quickly slipped a mataform unit behind these pipes on the floor, then -cut into a cardboard carton about fifteen feet away and put another -unit inside. He tossed a third on top of the nearest pile of cartons, -mentally said a key word, and was on the pile slashing open a carton to -slide the unit inside. Then he was on the floor in the corner.</p> - -<p>In the dim light, the shadowy figures came toward him. Their long arms -swung up and a barrage of rifle parts, bayonets, scabbards, and helmets -smashed into the corner. Dan was fifteen feet away when they hit. An -instant later, he was back, kicking the rubble out of the corner. There -was a repeated gruff cough, then the aisles were jammed, and he had a -brief view of bared teeth in fur-covered faces, and hairy arms that -reached out to grasp him. There was a grisly laugh that started as a -low chuckle and ended on a high-pitched wavering note.</p> - -<p>Dan mentally pronounced a key word and he was on the pile of cartons -with a half a dozen apes. The short sword flicked out and back. Other -apes sprang from the next pile of cartons. Dan dropped the weighted -club, threw his last mataform unit toward the top of a pile across the -aisle, and an instant later had recovered it, dropped to the floor, and -raced up the aisle.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>There was noise like teeth clicking together and then the wavering -laugh burst out again as the apes turned to chase him up the aisle. Dan -slid the transceiver into a slit-open carton and whirled as the leaders -rushed toward him. The short sword flashed out and back in rapid -thrusts, and abruptly Dan was on top of the first pile of cartons. He -recovered the weighted club, glanced down at the apes turning to rush -up the aisles, and then suddenly he was with them, slamming the last -few of them over the heads with the weighted club.</p> - -<p>He thrust, stabbed, and smashed, now in one place, now another, -always striking the gibbering horde where they were fewest and most -off-balance.</p> - -<p>After a long, hideous interval, there came a silence. Dan could see -that there were four heaps of dead or unconscious apes, the only live -ones were a few clinging to overhead beams with their eyes shut.</p> - -<p>Dan recovered his transceivers and made his way to one of the few -windows in the room. This was about seven feet from the floor, heavily -barred, with its glass panes broken out. Dan pulled himself up and -looked out at a walk and a high wall a few feet away. He cut the -sleeve of his shirt into strips and knotted the strips together with a -transceiver tied onto either end, so that one transceiver hung on the -outside and the other on the inside.</p> - -<p>Then Dan was outside, in an underground part of the planet where no one -was supposed to be without an official permit.</p> - -<p>The air seemed as fresh as outdoors, while overhead there was the -appearance of the sky on a heavily overcast day. There was light enough -to see by, but it was apparently dimmed to provide an artificial night.</p> - -<p>Dan saw no one, and said mentally, "Kielgaard?"</p> - -<p>Kielgaard's voice had a hoarse sound. "Are you out of that place?"</p> - -<p>"I'm out of it—thank heaven."</p> - -<p>"Amen. But listen, things have taken a nasty turn."</p> - -<p>"What's happened?"</p> - -<p>"We've questioned that prisoner. The outfit behind this trouble is -Trans-Space. But they don't have the control center. Instead, they've -got the headquarters of the election committee that controls the -referendum. Trans-Space is representing itself as the government of an -interstellar league of planets. They have everything set up to falsify -the vote tomorrow."</p> - -<p>Dan frowned. "What of it? I can still plant the mataform transceivers -and we can bring men down from above."</p> - -<p>"Yes, but Trans-Space has a mataform terminal set up in the terminal -election headquarters. It hooks into the local system and connects with -an outpost in the jungle on the surface. Trans-Space has been building -up to this day for over three years. The election headquarters is -manned like a fortress. It's in immediate touch with the outpost on the -surface where they've got an army of reinforcements."</p> - -<p>Dan stood still, thinking. He remembered the official with the carrying -case in the corridor overhead, who had said to the angry crowd, "Go to -the War Ruler." Dan mentioned the incident and said, "What about this -War Ruler and his emergency powers?"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Kielgaard said, "It looked promising to us at first, but actually -that's as if someone should say, 'England is in peril. Go to King -Arthur.'"</p> - -<p>"What?" said Dan, puzzled.</p> - -<p>"The War Ruler is a myth. A thousand years or more ago, after a -terrific internal war, they had a famine. They also had a huge army -to disband, headed by a very popular leader. The army apparently -threatened to take over the planet, but by a clever gimmick, the -government put off the crisis. They announced that their scientists had -discovered a way to halt the flow of time after the famine—and the War -Ruler marched the whole army loyally into a kind of big mausoleum where -they presumably killed the lot of them with a quick-acting gas. That is -the War Ruler's Control Center.</p> - -<p>"Ever since then, they've been making ritual gestures. They stock new -arms of standard design nearby, and recruit a number of fresh soldiers -to join the old—as a population control measure. To make the illusion -complete, they say that any man or woman who sincerely believes the -state to be in peril can enter the control center, by passing through -a lethal field that kills the insincere and lets the sincere through -alive. A number of people have tried it and got killed, so now they -don't try any more."</p> - -<p>"Where is this place?" asked Dan.</p> - -<p>"If we read your map rightly, that wall in front of you marks the edge -of the field surrounding it."</p> - -<p>Dan set down one of the mataform units and mentally pronounced a -keyword.</p> - -<p>He was in the shelter under the river.</p> - -<p>An instant later he was back by the wall, a glider and the control -helmet in his hands. He clipped a transceiver to the glider and guided -it toward a huge, dark-stained building with the look of a fortress. -He sent the glider around to the front of the building and saw two -huge bronze doors, one of which stood open. There was a totally still, -motionless look about the place that Dan did not care for. But the -glider had come to a closed inner door and that was as far as it could -go. Dan took off the control helmet, drew a deep breath and said a key -word.</p> - -<p>He was standing in the huge hall, before the closed door. He opened the -door.</p> - -<p>Before him was a room with tall slit windows, and as Dan went in, he -could see dimly, but, like a man in a hall of mirrors, what he saw did -not make sense.</p> - -<p>Distorted shapes and forms, with bright points and blots of light, -shifted as he moved, and shifted again as he moved closer, to see one -leg of what looked like a very old, faded table. A heavy cable ran up -the leg to the top, where there was a switch, and a bronze plate with -the words, "Open Switch."</p> - -<p>Dan reached for the switch, and hesitated. If Kielgaard's theory was -right, he would now be electrocuted, or otherwise disposed of.</p> - -<p>He swallowed hard, reached the rest of the way, and opened the switch.</p> - -<p>A pall of choking dust spread over the room, with the sound of coughing -all around him and the rustle of clothing and stamping of feet.</p> - -<p>Dan wiped his streaming eyes, and saw a man in uniform behind the desk, -all but one corner of which looked new.</p> - -<p>The man stared at Dan and said, "So soon? What's happened?"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Dan glanced around. The huge room was filled with tough, weary-looking -men in combat uniform, all fully armed and equipped. He thought fast, -turned back to the man behind the desk and said earnestly, "Peace -is restored to the planet. It's been rebuilt and the damage is all -repaired. But now, fantastic as it may seem, an enemy has come down to -this world from outer space—"</p> - -<p>The man at the desk angrily brought down his fist. "No one lives in -outer space! That's foolishness!"</p> - -<p>Dan said, his mind racing, "Whoever they are, they've seized a vital -communications center! They've got men on guard, armed to the teeth. -They've issued orders through captive government officials to seal off -this part of the level from the public. They're trying to take over the -whole government!"</p> - -<p>There was a stir in the room and a low ugly rumble.</p> - -<p>"I knew it," said the man behind the desk, jumping to his feet. "I knew -they'd lie low and then creep back again when things are quiet. If we'd -been demobilized, it would all have been for nothing. But we <i>aren't</i> -demobilized!"</p> - -<p>Abruptly there were shouted orders, and someone was gripping Dan by the -arm. "Just lead the way. Show us where they are and we'll take care of -the rest."</p> - -<p>Dan said mentally, "Kielgaard?"</p> - -<p>Kielgaard said, "Good Lord! Go straight outside and turn right."</p> - -<p>Someone threw a switch beside the door. Outside, they followed Dan -to the right. Behind him, Dan heard the mutter and cough of engines -starting up. They were in a well-lighted street like that of a large -city, but there was no traffic, either because it was late or because -of the travel restrictions.</p> - -<p>Kielgaard said, "Next left and it's in front of you."</p> - -<p>Dan turned the corner. Directly before him was a large white marble -building with a lawn on either side of a broad flight of steps, and -guards on the sidewalk, the steps, and in emplacements in the shrubbery -on either side of the steps.</p> - -<p>One of them saw Dan and casually snapped a shot at him. Dan got back -around the corner fast and looked around. On both sides of the street, -men were lying flat at the bases of the buildings, or crouching in -doorways. Down the street, they were running up a block to the left. -Up the middle of the street came a tank. It paused just out of sight -from the building around the corner, and an amplified voice boomed out, -"This is the War Ruler. Get out of that building before the count of -thirty, or we clean you out."</p> - -<p>A voice began to count. There was a sound of fast footsteps on the -sidewalk around the corner, and half a dozen men carrying guns came -into view. Dan recognized some of the men who had searched the place -where he'd landed his boat. One of them, not yet quite in a position to -see the tank, called out irritably, "All right, you. Get out here!"</p> - -<p>Then he caught sight of the men lying at the base of the buildings, and -crouched in the doorways. He fired.</p> - -<p>Flashes of light came from the men by the buildings. There was a roar -and a grind and the tank rolled forward. A whistle blew. Dan heaved a -mataform transceiver toward the emplacement at the base of the stairs, -and an instant before it landed, he mentally pronounced a key word.</p> - -<p>In the emplacement, he jerked the men away from their gun before they -could fire a shot. He knocked them senseless, grabbed a rifle, and -sprang up onto the staircase, with the intent of sprinting to the -other side and diving into the emplacement there. Halfway across the -steps, there was a sensation as if someone had smacked him between the -shoulder blades with a rifle butt. He saw the stairs coming up to meet -him, and then he saw nothing.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>He came to with a pretty face smiling at him through a sort of fog. The -fog cleared away, and a highly attractive nurse was looking at him very -admiringly. She said, "Sir, you have a visitor."</p> - -<p>Dan glanced around and saw Kielgaard, a sorrowful look on his face.</p> - -<p>Dan said as the nurse went out, "She spoke Truthian, didn't she?"</p> - -<p>"She did. You're still on the planet."</p> - -<p>"What's this 'sir' business and the pleasant smile for?"</p> - -<p>Kielgaard said. "You're a hero. It shows, incidentally, how the best -experts can make awe-inspiring mistakes. We gave you fast reflexes, -thinking that would make you safer. But it turns out that the planet -has a class of authorized assassins who hunt down criminals for a -livelihood, and never get too numerous because they fight each other -for extra credits and prestige. With your fast reflexes and built-in -wariness, the populace immediately spotted you for one of these lawful -assassins, so you couldn't have been more conspicuous."</p> - -<p>Kielgaard shook his head. "Meanwhile, Trans-Space was bringing in hired -killers to knock off the planet's lawful assassins at a huge bonus per -head, in order to create an uproar so that the election committee, -which they had already captured and conditioned, would clap on more -restrictions, thus creating more tension, so that Trans-Space could -swing the referendum at the last minute. You see, the most dangerous -thing we could have done to you was to give you these extra-fast -reflexes. But now, because of it, you're a hero." Kielgaard looked sad.</p> - -<p>"Luckily," said Dan, "I'm still alive. And so were all those soldiers."</p> - -<p>"Another mistake of the experts," said Kielgaard. "The highest -authorities on Truth strongly suspected something was wrong with the -protective field around the control center. This made them fearful -that the scientific device to halt the flow of time hadn't worked -either. This would have been a terrible catastrophe, so by a set of -rationalizations that would do credit to a bunch of habitual liars, -they evaded the whole issue. The experts and I made the mistake of -drawing the logical conclusion. I'm glad it wasn't so."</p> - -<p>"What happened to Trans-Space?"</p> - -<p>Kielgaard stopped looking sad and smiled a smile of deep satisfaction. -"Galactic has its contract with this planet. Trans-Space is in a very -anemic condition. The Truthians don't like people who lie, and they -always settle their accounts very strictly."</p> - -<p>Kielgaard's face subsided into its gloomy look.</p> - -<p>Dan said, "What's wrong?"</p> - -<p>"Well," said Kielgaard, "you see, you're a planetary hero for settling -that business with Trans-Space. Also, you have—let's see"—he took out -a slip of paper—"the equivalent of around six hundred thousand dollars -spending money for cleaning out those apes, plus—I don't know how to -translate this—six thousand mating credits. They have a weird system -for romance, and these credits—"</p> - -<p>Dan grinned. "Envious?"</p> - -<p>"It isn't that," said Kielgaard. "I'm thinking how I'd feel in your -place. These Truthians don't have any give in their system. Right's -right, and wrong's wrong, and they hand out rewards and punishments -irrespective of persons."</p> - -<p>There was a sharp rap at the door.</p> - -<p>Dan tried to sit up, but he was still too weak.</p> - -<p>Kielgaard said sadly, "I tried to reason with them, but I might as well -have talked to a wall."</p> - -<p>"Listen," said Dan, becoming alarmed. "What's wrong?"</p> - -<p>"I don't have the heart to tell you," said Kielgaard.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Picking up a large briefcase, he said, "Do what you think best. I might -mention that we're giving you a bonus, though I suppose that's no -consolation."</p> - -<p>The rap at the door was repeated and there were sounds of arguments -outside.</p> - -<p>"What's in that briefcase?" said Dan.</p> - -<p>"A big version of the kind of mataform transceiver you used. There's a -dreadnaught of ours orbiting the planet with another transceiver like -this on board. The key word, in case you should have use for it, is -'Krakior.'"</p> - -<p>The door burst open and three men came in, arguing with a man in a -white jacket.</p> - -<p>"That doesn't matter," said the first man, a familiar-looking -individual who was opening a square case with carrying handle. "The -only question is, was it or was it not an unauthorized kill, and is -this the man? We have our checker set up to answer this question -and that's all there is to it." He glanced at Dan. "Hold out your -fingertips, please, and touch those plates. Purely a routine check."</p> - -<p>Behind the man with the case were two men with armbands and shields. -One glanced disinterestedly at Dan and cocked his gun.</p> - -<p>Dan looked at the head of A Section and said fervently, "Thank you, -Kielgaard."</p> - -<p>The doctor in the white jacket was arguing to no visible effect as the -tube was held to Dan's eyes, snapped back into the case, and the case -clapped shut, to give its loud alarm clang.</p> - -<p>The assassin with the gun calmly leveled it at Dan and fired.</p> - -<p>All he hit was a suddenly empty bed.</p> - -<p>Dan had said the key word.</p> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's A Tourist Named Death, by Christopher Anvil - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A TOURIST NAMED DEATH *** - -***** This file should be named 60947-h.htm or 60947-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/0/9/4/60947/ - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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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: A Tourist Named Death - -Author: Christopher Anvil - -Release Date: December 17, 2019 [EBook #60947] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A TOURIST NAMED DEATH *** - - - - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - - _There was something rotten in the - planet named Truth ... rotten enough - to call for the intervention of ... _ - - A Tourist Named Death - - By CHRISTOPHER ANVIL - - [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from - Worlds of If Science Fiction, May 1960. - Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that - the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] - - -Dan Redman walked swiftly and quietly down the broad hallway toward a -door lettered: - - A SECTION - J. KIELGAARD - DIRECTOR - -As Dan opened the door, his trained glance caught the brief reflection -of a strange, strong-featured face, and a lithe, powerful, and -unfamiliar physique. Dan accepted this unfamiliar reflection of himself -as an actor accepts makeup. What puzzled him was the peculiar silent -smoothness with which his hand turned the knob, while his shoulder -braced firmly and easily against the opening door. He stepped into the -room in one sudden quiet motion. - -The receptionist inside gave a visible start. - -What kind of a job, Dan asked himself, did Kielgaard have for him this -time? - -The receptionist recovered her poise, to usher Dan into the inner -office. - -Kielgaard--big, stocky, and expensively dressed--glanced up from a -sheaf of glossy photographs. He said bluntly, "Sit down. We've got a -mess to straighten out." - -"What's wrong?" - -"A few years back, Galactic Enterprises discovered a totally -undeveloped planet with no inhabitants. They claimed development rights -and got to work to find an economical route to the planet, which is -called Triax." - -Kielgaard snapped a switch on the edge of his desk and the room lights -dimmed out. Three stellar maps seemed to hang in space in front of Dan, -one map directly above the other. - -Kielgaard's voice said, "Galactic found a route to Triax that promised -to be very economical. Watch." - - * * * * * - -On the lowest map, the word "Earth" lit up, and a silver line grew out -from it along the stellar map, then jumped up in a vertical straight -line to the second map, traveled along this map almost to a place where -the word "Truth" lit up. The line then jumped straight up to the third -map and traveled along it to the word "Triax." - -The room lighted and the maps vanished. - -Kielgaard said, "In two subspace jumps and not too much normal-space -traveling, Galactic can ship a cargo from Triax to Earth. That's a -good, short route, but it comes too close to that planet called Truth." - -Dan said, "Truth is the native name for the planet?" - -"Exactly. Truth is inhabited. The inhabitants look much like us, -and they're very highly developed technologically, though there is -no sign that they use space travel in any form. The problem is that -Galactic's cargo ships will pass close enough to Truth so that the -inhabitants--call them Truthians--will eventually detect them and may -or may not like the idea. Galactic's worry is that after sinking a lot -of money into the development of Triax, and just as it's about to make -a profit on the planet, these Truthians may blossom out with a fleet of -commerce raiders, or else claim sovereignty over all contiguous space -and land Galactic in a big court fight." Kielgaard glanced at Dan with -a smile. "Suppose you were running Galactic and had this problem. What -would you do?" - -"Try to vary the route. But subspace being what it is, a mild variation -of the starting point can produce an abrupt shift in the place where -they come out." - -Kielgaard nodded. "There's probably a usable route, but there's no -telling when they'll find it. Meanwhile, the development license only -runs so long before Galactic has to show proof of progress." - -"What's this Truth look like?" - -"Earth-type, with cities and towns scattered over its surface at -random, some of the cities remarkably advanced, some antique, with -forest and wilderness in between, and only haphazard communications -between cities." - -Dan frowned. "Well, then, I'd set down an information team, brain-spy -some of the inhabitants, and ease agents into key cities and towns. At -the same time, I'd go on looking for a new route, and do enough work on -Triax to keep the development license. When things clear up on Truth, -I'd develop Triax further." - -Kielgaard nodded. "A sound and sensible plan. That is exactly what -Galactic did. And after a slow start, things began to straighten out -very nicely, too. The more Truth cleared up, the more Galactic invested -in Triax. And then, one day, this photograph came in." - -Kielgaard held out a photograph showing a busy street corner in a city -at night. A brightly clothed crowd was walking along the sidewalk past -store windows showing a variety of merchandise. - -Kielgaard said, "Look down that street. You see a low building, part -way down the block, with a wide chimney?" - -"Yes," said Dan, "I see it." - -"Look just above the top of the chimney." - -"You mean this arrow-shaped constellation?" - -Kielgaard nodded. "There is no such arrow-shaped constellation visible -from Truth." - -"Then this photo is a fake?" - -"They're all fakes. What apparently happened is that someone managed -to get a spy into Galactic's planning division, and through him found -out when and where Galactic's agents were to be set down. They grabbed -the agents one by one soon after each agent landed. Since then, they've -sent back reports to build up a purely synthetic picture of the planet. -The only reports Galactic can rely on are the original impressions of -the information team they set down to begin with." - -Dan whistled. "So someone is working Galactic into position to jerk the -rug out from under it." - -"Exactly." - -"What's Galactic doing?" - -"They're trying hard to keep this quiet. But meanwhile, no one knows -for sure who the spy is." - -"A nice situation," said Dan. "What do we do about this planet Truth?" - - * * * * * - -"Well," said Kielgaard, "the first thing we do is set a man down and -let him get the lay of the land. We get more agents ready to move in -right behind him. We intend to use the best men available, and nothing -but the latest and best equipment. If things turn out as we intend -them to, whatever organization started this will come out slit up the -middle, stuffed, roasted, and with an apple in its mouth." - -Dan said cautiously, "Who's the first agent we set down on this planet?" - -"You," said Kielgaard. "And you're going to be up against a deadly -proposition. Our opponent is established on the planet, and we're -going in cold. Fortunately, we've sunk a good part of our profits into -research and it's about to pay off. We have, for instance, installed in -your body cavity a remarkably small organo-transceiver. It uses a new -type of signal which should escape detection under any circumstances -you're likely to face on Truth." - - * * * * * - -"So I can be more or less constantly in touch with you?" - -"In any period of relative calm, yes. During violent action, the -interference of other currents in your brain would drown out the -signal. But we've also run a series of delicate taps to your optic and -auditory nerves, so we should have continuous contact by sight and -sound." - -"You mentioned that the cities and towns on the planet were separated -by wilderness. How do I travel?" - -"We have a new type of unusually small mataform transceiver." Kielgaard -reached in a drawer and tossed on his desk a smooth olive-colored -object little larger than a package of cigarettes. "The range is only a -few hundred miles, but it uses the new type of signal I've mentioned, -which eliminates the problem of orbiting a set of satellites to relay -the signal. The problem of first putting the mataform transceiver in -the place where you want to go is tricky, but we have a little glider -that ought to do the trick." - -He showed Dan how to use the glider, and several other new items of -equipment, then frowned and sat back. "The worst of this is, we don't -know exactly what to expect on the planet. Some big organization could -even be trying to take over the planetary government. If so, a lot will -depend on what stage things are in when you land. To give you as much -chance as possible, your body has been carefully restructured to give -you exceptional strength and endurance. The neuro-conditioning lab has -recreated in your nervous system the reflexes of one of the deadliest -agents ever known. Don't be surprised if you perform certain actions -almost before you're aware of your own intentions. It has to be that -way to cut down the risks." - -Dan and Kielgaard shook hands, and Dan went out to check his equipment. - -Early the next day, he was on a fast spaceship to the planet called -Truth. - - * * * * * - -Dan was dropped low over the night side of the planet in a vaned -capsule that whirled straight down, burst open on contact with the -water, and sank. From this capsule, a small boat nosed out toward the -coast. - -In the cramped space inside, Dan checked a little gauge to be sure the -boat's outer layer had adjusted to the water around it, so that there -would be no sharp difference in the radiation of heat to show up on any -infrared detector that might be in range. Then the boat nosed down with -a _suck-swish_ from the water-jet engine and began to pick up speed. - -Several hours later, a thin flexible cable shot out from shallow water -at the edge of the junglelike coastline. The cable whipped around the -trunk of a tree well back from the water's edge, there was a faint low -hum, a grating noise, and something slid up over the rocks and pebbles -and came to rest among the tangled trunks and roots of the trees. A -moment later, Dan was out and dragging the boat further inland. - -When he was satisfied that the boat was safe, he glanced at his watch. -The planet's large moon should soon be up and he intended to waste no -time making his position more secure. - -He broke open a carton of the little mataform transceivers, clipped -several of them on small, almost completely transparent gliders, and -checked to be sure the little auxiliary motors of the gliders were in -working order. He slid on a helmet that fit tightly over his head and -eyes, and sent up the first glider. As the faint whir of the small -engine receded, Dan could see before him in the helmet a clear view of -the sea, with the thin rim of the planet's moon just rising, huge and -blood-red, over the horizon. - -The small sensor unit on the glider sent back an image from a safe -height above the forest, and Dan switched the helmet from this glider -long enough to send up another. - -By dawn, he had landed gliders, with their small mataform transceivers, -in isolated spots outside three moderate-sized cities within range of -the boat. Dan then took another of the mataform units and buried it. -Standing nearby, he mentally pronounced a key word. - -As he did this, the electro-chemical change in a nervous tract -triggered a tiny implanted device that sent its imperceptible signal -to the mataform transceiver. The transceiver interpreted the signal, -and for an instant Dan sensed a shift in the pattern of things around -him. - -Abruptly he was standing in the clearing where he had brought down -the first glider. Around him were several tall wind-thrown trees. In -the gray light of early dawn, he could barely make out the glider and -little mataform unit clipped to it. A few minutes later, the unit was -temporarily hidden, he had returned the glider to the boat, and he was -picking up the second glider in a badly burned tract of forest near the -second city. - - * * * * * - -When the three mataform units were all hidden, Dan paused for a moment -to think through the next step. The three gliders, invisible to the -naked eye as they passed high above the tree tops, might possibly have -shown up on any of a number of detection devices, to give away both the -starting point and the places where they had landed. It was now Dan's -problem to outwit these detection devices. - -Dan clipped another mataform transceiver to a glider, put on the -control helmet, and sent the glider dodging low and carefully through -the trees. He found a spot about two miles away that suited him -and landed the glider. He swiftly unloaded the boat and carried its -contents to the buried mataform unit, where he mentally pronounced a -new key word, which triggered the unit and took him to the glider and -transceiver he had just landed. In a short time, he had the contents of -the boat stacked beside the glider. - -Dan then disassembled the boat and engine, and stacked the parts beside -the boat's piled-up contents. By now, the sun was well up, and Dan -was becoming aware of a thrumming drone that grew steadily louder. He -quickly dug up the buried mataform unit, clipped it to a glider, and -hung the glider to an overhead limb by a green string, knotted so as to -come undone at the first sharp pull. - -Dan glanced around carefully and listened to the increasing drone. He -looked up and studied a bumpy blue-green limb well overhead. This limb -was located so that a spy unit on it would cover most of the place -where the boat had been. Dan carefully gauged the speed with which the -droning was coming closer, then went by the mataform to the pile of -goods he had transferred, came back with a long tube, and sighted at -the overhead limb. There was a _whoosh_ and a small colorless blob with -a tiny bump in the center spread out on the limb. The blob gradually -turned blue-gray, matching the limb, and then the spy unit was -indistinguishable from the limb's other bumps and irregularities. - -The droning noise was now quite loud. - -Dan went by the mataform to his new camp and put on the helmet he used -to control the glider. - -An instant later, the glider gave a whir and jerked forward. The knot -came untied, and the glider, carrying the mataform unit and a length of -dark-green string, flitted out of sight amid the big tree trunks. - -Dan, his hand on a knob at the side of the helmet, shifted his vision -rapidly back and forth from the glider to the spy unit over the spot -where the boat had been. - -There now came into view, in the place where the boat had been, -something that looked like a cross between an oversize bloodhound and a -tiger. Right behind this came a man with a rifle. Then another man, and -another. The angle of vision did not let Dan see exactly where the men -came from, but he supposed there was a jetcopter just overhead. - -The tiger-like animal snuffled around, pawed at the ground, made trips -into the jungle on all sides, and finally ran back toward the shore. -The men followed close behind. - - * * * * * - -Dan, shifting his attention back and forth from this scene to the -glider, landed the glider nearby, just as the last of the men left the -place where the boat had been. Dan quickly went to each of the three -places near cities where he had landed the mataform transceivers, and -moved each of them by glider well away from the places where they had -landed. He left behind in each place a small spy unit. - -He had just finished doing this when several loads of heavily armed men -in jetcopters came down in all three places. The men, Dan noticed, wore -no uniforms, and the copters were unmarked. - -Dan said mentally, "Can you hear me, Kielgaard?" - -"Loud and clear," came the familiar voice. "We're getting sight and -sound perfectly." - -"Have you got your corps of experts working on everything that comes -in?" - -"Naturally," said Kielgaard. "But I wouldn't advise you to stop and -chat right now. Those boys seem to mean business." - -"Do they look like planetary police to you?" - -"No. They don't look like anything that was born on that planet." - -"That's exactly the way they strike me. Well, maybe I can make them -some more trouble." - -Dan got out a map and noted a long, fairly straight road from one -of the cities, near which he had a mataform transceiver, to another -distant city. From this distant city, a winding river curled away to a -city even more distant. That night, Dan intended to make use of road -and river alike. But right now, he spent an hour or so moving his goods -to a place further away from the landing; then he partly reassembled -the boat, and cat-napped till evening. He was awoken at frequent -intervals by sudden drops of men and more of the tiger-like animals, at -each of the four places where they had been before. Each time there was -sudden activity at one of these places, a little alarm buzzed in Dan's -ear, and he slid on the helmet to watch a renewed search of the ground. - -He had the impression that someone had reported nothing was to be -found, and that this word had been passed along to someone who had said -there _must_ be something there, and it had better be found or else. -The search this time was much more careful. But it was not till the -last place was searched that one of them came very close to the spy -unit, and reached out toward it. - -Dan regretfully slid back a protective cover at the lower edge of the -helmet and pressed a button underneath. There was a dazzling flash, -and then the scene was gone. - -Dan would much rather have kept them thinking that maybe there was -nothing to look for after all. But he could tell from their numbers -and zeal that he was not likely to have very much his own way on this -planet. - - * * * * * - -That night, Dan sent a glider under power down the long road to the -distant city. The glider was low enough to avoid the usual detectors, -but happily free of the need to dodge an endless succession of tree -trunks. The river served much the same purpose, so that well before -dawn, Dan had mataform transceivers planted near each of the two new -cities, and also at a place right at the edge of the river. From -this spot, Dan threw out into the river a heavily weighted mataform -transceiver. He returned to the partly assembled boat and methodically -put it together again. This time, however, he fitted sections together -differently and left the heavy engine out entirely. He put his arms -around one end of the thing he had put together and mentally said a -keyword. - -The river water rushed coldly around him, gritty with silt sweeping -along the bottom. There was a _chug_ in his ears as the water triggered -off the grab anchors around the rim of the shelter. Dan said another -key word and he was inside. He snapped on a light and looked carefully -around, but found no sign of a leak. - -He transferred the rest of his goods, checked to see that the selective -membrane panel was keeping the oxygen at the right level inside, then -lay down to catch up on sleep. - -The following day, he took three of his small transceivers, and went by -the mataform to a place outside the nearest city. - -A short walk along a winding trail took Dan past a series of huts and -cabins to a rough covered stand displaying combs, brooms, and other -simple merchandise, along with a dusty case of what looked like soda -pop, and a dust-covered carton of what appeared to be candy bars. -The soda pop was labeled "GAS," and the candy had a card labeled -"TOOTHROT." The girl in charge of the stand smiled and said, "Good -morning, Death." - -There was no one else around, and the girl spoke in a perfectly natural -way, so Dan smiled back and said, "Good morning." - -But as he walked on down the trail, he said mentally, "Kielgaard?" - -Kielgaard's voice replied, "I heard it, Dan. We're checking at this -end to see if it's some error in the vocabulary we implanted in your -brain." A moment later, Kielgaard said, "As nearly as we can tell -here, 'Death' is the word she used." - -"Funny." - -Dan rounded a bend in the trail and came to a moderately wide road, -paved with smooth blocks of stone. To his right was a wall about ten -feet high, with an open gate and a city street visible behind it. From -somewhere came the steady beat of a drum. Dan started toward the gate, -but had to jump aside as a heavily armed column of troops marched out, -their faces set and their feet striking the ground in an unvarying -cadence. - -As the last of the troops went by, a man standing nearby turned to Dan -and said, "Well, there they go. We won't be seeing some of them again -in this life." - -Dan nodded noncommittally, and the man looked at him sharply, then -grinned and said, "Good hunting." - -"Thank you," said Dan. He could hear a faint muttering somewhere in the -background, which he took to be Kielgaard and his experts, trying to -understand this latest exchange. - -Dan followed the man through the city gates, and walked past a variety -of small shops selling baked goods, meats, groceries, hand tools, -books, and appliances. - -Dan noted the location of the bookstore, so that on the way back he -could buy some books. He wanted to transmit the contents of the books; -the staff of experts could learn a great deal from a cross-section of a -planet's fiction and non-fiction. - - * * * * * - -As Dan walked toward the center of the city, he noted that the -buildings grew larger, and the shops turned into big department stores. -These all looked much the same as the ones on Earth, or on many other -technologically advanced planets. The merchandise showed only minor -differences in design. Looking in a hardware store, for instance, Dan -discovered that ordinary screwdrivers had a short curved crosspiece -on the handle--apparently a thumb rest to give greater leverage in -turning. Aside from such minor differences, everything seemed the same. - -Dan had just decided that the planet looked almost like home when -he came to a low building with a paved yard. Into the yard trundled -several small carts, similar to the kind used to transfer baggage in -railroad and mataform depots back home. On these carts, however, were -canvas covers, which were thrown back to reveal fully clothed human -forms. On all but one cart, the human forms wore the same kind of -white garment, trimmed in various colors. These forms--bodies, Dan -supposed--were lifted from the carts by attendants who handled them -with the greatest care and respect. - -On the other cart, though, the bodies wore street clothes. These bodies -were grabbed under the arms, dragged to a black door like the door of a -furnace, set in the wall of the building, and shoved through the door -head first. As the bodies were shoved in, Dan saw the sunlight glint on -what looked like tight metal cords around their necks, bearing oblong -metal tags. - -Several men had stopped while Dan glanced in to watch this scene. Dan -now overheard their comments, which were made in tense angry tones: - -"Look at that. If this referendum isn't over soon, it'll dust the lot -of us over the forest." - -"It's all these charges and accusations that make the trouble. Why we -can't do it like civilized human beings, I don't know." - -"The trouble is, there's no precedent." - -The men walked away. - -Dan had the out-of-focus sensation of a man who comes into a room where -a joke has already been half-told. - -He glanced at the low building. "Are you getting all this, Kielgaard?" - -"We're getting it. But I hope it makes more sense to you than it does -to us." - -"Well, it doesn't." - -Dan glanced around, noted the discreet word "DISPOSAL" -printed on the face of the small building where the bodies were shoved -through what looked like a furnace door. Dan thought he could see what -was going on here, but the reasons for the things that were happening -were totally obscure to him. - -It was in the next block that he began to get some sort of an idea, -when he saw a large poster bearing a blue triangle standing point down. -Stamped over this triangle were large letters: VOTE YES! - -Several blocks away was a big poster showing a green triangle, its base -down, and bearing the words: VOTE NO! - - * * * * * - -Both posters were dented, scratched, and spattered, as if stones -and rotten fruit had been thrown at them. But, though Dan watched -carefully as he walked on toward the center of the city, he saw no clue -as to what the voting was about. He was also puzzled to find that, -though there were many stores, and a fair number of what looked like -hotels, office buildings, and apartment houses, there seemed to be no -factories, large or small. - -The people passing here were another source of uncertainty. As Dan -approached the center of the city, he began to sense the peculiar air -of freedom that he had noticed in resort towns on a dozen planets. And -yet this did not look to him like a resort town. Moreover, it was hard -to gauge the mood of the people passing by, because nearly all seemed -to react to his presence in some way. Some looked suddenly alarmed, -a few looked furtive, others seemed pleased and smiled at him. A -considerable number of the women had a thrilled look when they saw him. - -Dan walked another block and saw part of the reason for the resort-town -atmosphere. Across the street was a sweeping expanse of green. In the -far end of this green was an enormous swimming pool, with floats and -concrete islands dotted through it to hold diving boards that were -almost constantly in use. - -Dan, wanting to watch the passersby without their watching him, -stepped into a quiet, old-fashioned-looking bookstore that fronted on -the green. He looked out the many-paned front window and immediately -noticed a change in the people. Without his inexplicably disturbing -influence, nearly all of the people fell into two distinct categories. -One group had a depressed and angry look. The other group looked -cheerful and carefree. Aside from their mood, they didn't seem to -differ noticeably in dress, age, or any other way. - -Dan glanced around the bookstore and saw that it, like the other -stores, could be transplanted to Earth, and--except for the unfamiliar -lettering on storefront and book titles--would hardly be noticed. He -nodded to an elderly woman working at a small desk to one side of the -store, then walked to the rear, where the stacks of books left a far -corner partially in shadow and out of sight from the front of the -store. Dan stooped, glanced at the dusty row of books on the bottom -shelf, and slid a mataform transceiver behind the books. - -He walked back to the front of the store, stepped out on the sidewalk, -and saw a cart come slowly along in the street. This was the kind of -cart he had seen earlier. The outstretched figures of men lay bumping -loosely on the cart, metal cords with oblong tags tight around their -necks. Dan stepped over to note that the tags he could see all read: - - --KILL-- - UNAUTHORIZED - - * * * * * - -There was a buzz of indignation from the crowd on the sidewalk as the -cart went by. - -Then there was a sudden silence. - -Dan glanced around. - -Walking along the sidewalk toward him was a man about his own height -and build, who moved with controlled catlike steps. - -The man looked directly at Dan and called out: "Hello, Death!" - -The people on the sidewalk rushed to get out of the way. Abruptly the -man's arm swung back and forward. - -"Catch." - -Something flashed in the air. - -Dan's impulse was to jump aside, then tackle the man. Instead, his -body turned slightly. His right hand, already partly raised, whipped -in a short arc, caught something, flicked it to his left, and blurred -straight out again. - -The man opposite Dan blinked and jumped aside. - -At the same instant, Dan's left hand shot out. - -There was a gasp from the crowd. The man collapsed with the butt of a -knife jutting from his chest. - -A voice behind Dan said warmly, "Superb! A return attack complete in -one stroke!" - -Dan turned to see three alert, strong-looking men. One counted bills -from a thick roll. The second opened up a square case with carrying -handle. The third was unwinding an armband with a badge on it. - -The man with the case held it out. "If you'll just put your fingertips -on these plates, so we'll be sure to get your mating credits--" - -Dan sensed from the waiting attitude of the people watching that this -was some kind of test. Unhesitatingly, he held out his fingertips. -There were also two bright flashes as a small tube was held to Dan's -eyes. - -Once Dan could see again, everyone seemed relaxed and friendly. The -crowd was excitedly arguing the details of what had happened. The man -with the roll of bills handed over a small fistful, saying, "Double, -for the return at one stroke." - -The man with the armband put it on Dan's arm as he rapidly recited the -words of some rote formula, of which all Dan caught was a frequent -reference to "the Code," and the words "peril and deadly danger," and -the last words, "now say, 'I do.'" - -"I do," said Dan, fervently wishing he were somewhere else. - -The man with the case was beaming as he snapped the little rod inside. -He said genially, "I always know an honest fight when I see it. And -these days it's a real pleasure to--" - -Just then, he clapped the case shut. - -The case gave out a clang like the general alarm on a space cruiser -under surprise attack. - -The crowd gave a shout. "Unauthorized kill!" - -The three men beside Dan jumped forward. - -Dan's left hand lashed out to smash the nearest of the three men in -the midsection. The flat edge of his right hand struck the second man -just below the nose; then Dan had thrown the first man back against the -third, had whirled around and seen the crowd start to surge across the -sidewalk to block his escape. He sprinted directly past this crowd, so -that when it completely blocked the sidewalk an instant later, he was -cut off from the view of the three men he had just knocked down. - -Dan did not doubt that these three men were officials of the planet, -and he strongly suspected that they were armed and knew how to use -their weapons. - - * * * * * - -Across the street, at the edge of one corner of the green, was a tall -hedge of flowering shrubs, back of which was a grove of young trees. -Dan dodged past carts and small, square, silent automobiles, and ran -through this hedge. Behind him there was a shout of anger. - -To Dan's left were two young trees, growing close together. Dan still -had with him two of his little mataform units, and he quickly thrust -one of them between the two dark, slender tree trunks. - -An instant later, he was in the dark corner of the bookstore, hearing -the angry shouts dwindle into the distance outside. The door of the -store closed as the elderly woman who ran the store stepped outside, -apparently to see what had happened. - -A moment later, Dan was in the shelter under the river. He worked -quickly with a small brush and some dye, then got out another set of -clothes. He checked his appearance swiftly and thoroughly. - -Then with more of a tanned look than he had had before, with much -darker hair, and wearing entirely different clothes, Dan mataformed -back to the bookstore. The elderly woman was standing by the front -window as he came forward, to pick up a thin scientific volume lying on -a table and say, "I believe you were outside when I came in." - -"Oh," she said, "the most frightful thing just happened." She then gave -a highly inaccurate account of Dan's fight with the knife man, and -described how the crowd was hunting him down right now at the far end -of the park. - -Dan took his change and said, "I'll have to go look." - -He stepped outside and could see the path of the crowd with no -difficulty. The flowering shrubs were flattened, and the ground under -the trees showed the marks of many feet. Dan recovered his mataform -unit and walked a short distance to look down toward the far end of -the green, where the swimmers were all out of the pool--probably so -that it could be searched for Dan. - -He turned around and noticed near the bookstore a large restaurant, -built in a style that made him think of an old English tavern. Several -men looking well contented came out. Dan realized he was hungry. - -He went in, and from a weird merry-go-round serving apparatus got -a steak indistinguishable from those at home, and a selection of -unfamiliar side dishes that looked good to him, but made other diners -nearby wince. Dan paid for his selection and sat down. - -During the meal, someone at a nearby table began to talk loudly, and -someone else shouted, "Spacerot!" There was a momentary hush in the -restaurant, and two burly men in white jackets quickly crossed to -the table and spoke firmly to the diners. Peace was restored, and -the two burly men wove back through several parties just leaving the -restaurant, and separated to stand quietly but alertly near the far -wall. - -As Dan ate, he thought, "Kielgaard!" - -"Right here." - -"Do you make any sense out of what we've seen so far?" - -"I get the impression something's about to snap, but I don't know -what. Or as my experts here tell me, 'It's too early to venture an -opinion.'" - -"That," thought Dan, "is likely to be the trouble with this place. -By the time we find out what's going on, it will be too late to do -anything about it. We're going to have to play hunches to crack this -one in time." - -Kielgaard said fervently, "_How_ we crack it makes no difference to me, -so long as we _do_ crack it." - - * * * * * - -While Dan ate, a considerable crowd of people went out the front door, -and two couples came in. The restaurant, however, remained very nearly -full. - -"Something tells me," Dan thought, "that there must be a lot more to -this planet than meets the eye." - -He got up and walked toward the back of the restaurant. What he had -taken for the rear wall turned out to be merely a wall that divided one -section of the restaurant from another equally large, where waitresses -served individual tables. - -A flight of carpeted steps led down to men's and women's rest rooms and -a gently sloping, softly lighted hallway. People were coming up the -hall in considerably greater numbers than they went down, and Dan was -startled to see that they reacted to him exactly as the crowd outside -had, before he had gone into the bookstore to watch them unnoticed. - -Dan went to the men's rest room, washed, and inconspicuously studied -himself in the mirror. He looked very much different than he had -before. Why, then, did the people react in the same way? - -Dan concealed a mataform unit in the dimly lit lounge outside the -washroom, then went out and down the hall. He had gone perhaps thirty -steps when a lithe man coming the other way saw him, whipped out a gun, -and shouted, "_Death!_" - -One instant Dan was walking down the right side of the hall. A split -fraction of an instant later, he had thrown himself to the other side -of the hall. - -There was a swift, bright flash. - -Someone screamed. - -The gun went spinning and Dan had the man on the floor, both hands -locked at his throat. It was a severe struggle for Dan to loosen his -hands. - -A crowd gathered so quickly that there was scarcely room to stand. A -man carrying a small box with a handle forced his way through. Dan had -his captive, half-unconscious, on his feet. Improvising rapidly, Dan -said, "I think that was unauthorized." - -The man with the carrying case said grimly, "We'll soon find out." He -held the man's fingertips to plates in the case, flashed a small tube -in his eyes, and shut the case. There was a loud clang. - -Two powerfully built men wearing armbands with shields stepped up. One -glanced at Dan and said, "Want to finish him? He's yours, by rights." - -Someone in the crowd said, "_Question_ him! Find out which side is -behind this!" - -The man with the carrying case said sternly, "That's neither here nor -there. The only question is, which side is _right_?" - -There was a tense silence. It occurred to Dan that this planet might -not be called Truth for nothing. He was still gripping his captive by -the arms and wanted in the worst way to question him. But how, in this -crowd? And then he remembered that he still had one mataform unit with -him. - -The man with the case was saying to the sullen crowd, "Maybe you think -something's wrong. Maybe it is. All right, you know what to do--_go to -the War Ruler_--" - -Dan mentally pronounced a key word, then opened his hands as he -pronounced another. - -A momentary flash of dense jungle, and then he was in the corridor -again, his prisoner gone. - - * * * * * - -It all seemed to take a moment to register. As soon as it did, someone -shouted, "Spacerot!" This word acted on the crowd like a blazing -torch thrown into an explosives shack. They began smashing each other -violently around in the crowded corridor. Dan barely recovered his -mataform unit, which had fallen to the floor when he transferred his -prisoner, and had a rough time merely staying on his feet. The savage -pressing and crowding in the jammed corridor seemed to drive the crowd -to hysteria. - -Dan realized there was no way to tell when he might get loose. For the -second time, he used the mataform unit to get out of the corridor. This -time he went to the shelter under the river. He got some strong cord, -went to the place in the jungle where his prisoner was, and tied him -up. Then he returned to the shelter, fitted a set of small filters in -his nostrils, and went back to the lounge outside the washroom near -the corridor, carrying a small egg-shaped object. Someone happened -to be looking at the spot where he appeared. Dan ignored the staring -onlooker, went out to the corridor, and found that things were even -worse than when he had left. - -He threw the egg-shaped object at the wall of the corridor and ducked -back into the lounge. - -There was a loud _bang_, followed by a number of smaller explosions. -Abruptly the lounge was filled with bright points of light and little -popping noises. The air was permeated with a gray vapor. The people -in the room sagged in their seats or collapsed on the floor, and Dan -was very careful to breathe only through the filters in his nostrils. -He mentally said a key word and he was in the corridor, standing on a -mound of unconscious people. He worked till he found the transceiver, -went by mataform back to the lounge, took the transceiver there in case -the lounge should be searched, and walked back through the corridor -over heaps of people, picked up the other mataform unit, and went on -down the corridor. - -He wasn't happy about the people behind him. When the concentration of -the drug in the air reached a low enough point, those on top of the -heap were going to come to, then those under them, till there was one -writhing hysterical mass that would be even worse than it had been -before he threw the bomb. The only good feature--if it could be called -that--was that they would all very soon be violently nauseated, with an -urgent need for fresh air, and yet would be too sickened and weak to -head for the outside in a rush. - -Thinking this, Dan rounded a corner and came to a dead stop. - - * * * * * - -Directly before him was a short, wide, high-ceilinged cross-corridor -with half a dozen doors swinging open as people hurried in, walked -a few paces, and collapsed. Either side of this short hall was made -of shiny metal containing numerous slots. As Dan watched, a man came -through a door, and in one automatic motion jammed a coin in a slot, -ripped off a ticket that popped out another slot, then suddenly blinked -and jerked around to stare at the pile of people on the floor of the -corridor. Then he collapsed. - -Dan glanced from this man to the wall above the doors, which was -brilliant with lights and moving letters, forming a maze that made him -dizzy to look at: - - SKL MACH OPS--80L6h4 S - WANTED ON LEVEL 10 - MNL LBRS-647L25h2*MN - *MEN WITH FAST REFLE - PENSES PAID HOUSING - -Dan strode forward and through a door with the numeral "1" over it. - -Directly before him was a short dead-end hallway that abruptly -vanished, and he was walking toward a crowd of hurrying people in an -immense room. - - * * * * * - -Glancing around, Dan again felt at home. The immense room reminded him -of Grand Central Mataform Terminal back on Earth. One wall even had -the same kind of huge map of the tunnels and cross-tunnels that gave -underground access to stores in the area. But the map here was even -larger and more complex. Near its face were spidery walks and moving -stairways, so that people could examine individual parts from close at -hand if they wanted. - -Dan looked over the terminal carefully, then walked slowly along -looking for a place to hide one of his mataform units. He spotted, near -a door in a corner, a poster on a stand showing a strong young man in -uniform with a series of numbers, apparently dates, stretching out -like a road before him. The stand held a poster on either side, and -there was a place between them where Dan could slip one of the mataform -units. An instant after he did this, he was in the shelter under the -river. - -Quickly, he got out a very light, strong two-man tent, an air mattress, -a hypodermic, and a shiny half-globe with web straps at the back. -He immediately went to the spot in the jungle where he had left his -prisoner and found him thrashing furiously in an attempt to get loose. -Dan injected a small quantity of a fast-acting hypnotic drug, and the -man lay still. Then Dan set up the small tent and got the man inside on -the mattress. - -It was now getting dark outside, and, with the darkness, there was -a rumble of thunder in the distance. Dan went back to the shelter, -returned with a light, and adjusted the half-globe over the man's -face and head, then fastened the straps behind his head. He inserted -in the man's ears two little thimblelike devices, then said mentally, -"Kielgaard?" - -Kielgaard's voice answered, "We'll know in a minute." After a -considerable pause, he said, "Yes, he's responding. Watch." - -Very slowly, the man's right arm lifted from the mattress, then dropped -limply. - -Dan said, "You can handle it all from that end?" - -"Easily. We've got a team here that will do nothing else but question -him." - -Dan nodded, aware that the voices of specially trained psychologists -were now speaking in the man's ears, so that he heard nothing else, -while he saw only what the screen in the half-globe projected directly -into his eyes. Soon he should begin to talk, and what he said would be -transmitted through subspace to Kielgaard's team of questioners. Then -it might be possible to learn something of what was going on on this -planet. But there was another way that might also help. - -Dan glanced at his wristwatch and saw that it was late enough so that -if this were Earth most stores would probably be closed by now. Dan -didn't know how it was on this planet, but he pronounced a key word and -was in the bookstore that faced the green. The bookstore was closed. - -Dan quickly selected an armload of books, brought them back to the -shelter under the river, went back and got another stack of them. -He set up a spidery device of light metal and piled the books near -enough so the feed arms could reach them. A set of rubber-tipped rods -like long skeletal fingers turned the pages, while the scanner on an -overhead arm oscillated from a position over one page to a position -over the other page. - -Dan said, "How's it coming in, Kielgaard?" - -"Speed it up a little." - -Dan moved a small lever. The pages turned more quickly. - - * * * * * - -Dan said, "We'll see how the feeder works before I leave it." Then he -got out a mirror and went to work to change his appearance again. - -The second book fed in with no difficulty, so Dan took four of his -little mataform units, which was all he had room for, and went back to -the terminal. - -The crowd seemed to have thinned out somewhat, so he supposed the -evening rush was about over. As in terminals nearly everywhere Dan had -been, most of the people moved briskly, intent on their own affairs. No -one paid much attention to Dan while he glanced around, noting the wall -of flashing lights and moving letters, similar to but far larger than -the one he had seen before, and a series of sizable blocky structures -with large numerals suspended above them, and the stylized outlines -of doorways on their four walls. People appeared in front of these -doorways, or strolled directly toward them and vanished, hesitating -only when a red glow outlined the door to show that someone was coming -through from the other side. - -In the center of the room toward either end were large silvery -structures with the word "Information" hanging above them. Dan went -to one and found that vertical blue lines divided it into twenty-four -sections, with room left over for more that weren't there as yet, plus -a section headed "General Information." - -Dan studied the numerous slots, went to the General Information -section and spent most of his change. He sat down with a small package -of maps and folders and soon had before him a cross-sectional drawing -showing a series of spherical layers one inside the other, labeled, -"Level 1--Retail," "Level 2--Retail," "Level 3--Wholesale," "Level -4--Manufacturing," and so on, numbered from the outside in toward the -center of the sphere, from one to twenty-five. - -Dan sat perfectly still for a moment, looking at this. He leafed -carefully though the folders, and was soon convinced that this wasn't a -map of underground layers under just one city, but of an interconnected -system that appeared to stretch over most of the planet. The surface -was labeled, "Recreation--Ordeals--General." - -The complex of underground layers seemed to be much thicker than -separate floors of a building would be; the map showed cross-sections -of buildings of many stories in the individual layers. - -Dan studied the map further and found that Level 10 was marked, -"Coordination--Government." Dan walked to the information machine -and came back with a general map of Level 10, which was divided into -sixteen sections. Sections 4 and 5 were headed "Government Sections," -and Dan got large-scale maps of each of them. - -What he was looking at was being reproduced far away on big screens, -and instantly recorded, to be examined in detail by staffs of trained -men. He was thankful this was so. The map was a maze of colored lines, -blocks, and curves, with numbered lists up and down both sides and -across the bottom. - -Abruptly, Kielgaard's voice said, "Dan, see that dark purple oval a -little to the left of the center of the page?" - -"I see it." Dan glanced from the number to the list at the side of the -page and read, "War Ruler's Control Center." - - * * * * * - -Kielgaard said, "The staff going over those books thinks there is some -sort of an arrangement by which a 'war ruler' takes over absolute power -in an emergency. What would be a better way to take over the planet -than to get control of this War Ruler and then provoke an emergency?" - -Dan studied the purple oval on the map. "Yes. But what do we do about -it?" - -"The first of your reinforcements will be coming down tonight. If you -can get near that control center and plant a few transceivers, we might -be able to make a good deal of trouble for anyone who may have seized -it." - -"I'll do my best," said Dan. He got up, put most of the maps and -folders into a locker, and bought a ticket for Level 10, Section 4. As -he turned, he noticed two men standing about twenty feet away, talking. -On impulse, Dan went, not to the block that would take him to Level -10, but instead toward the station that his pamphlet had told him -would take him to Section 6 of the same level he was on. As he rounded -a corner and strode up a deserted corridor, he stooped and slid a -mataform unit into the space between a waste container and the wall. - -An instant later, he was back beside the posters where he had hidden a -transceiver earlier. - -Two men were walking in the same direction he had gone. - -Dan followed them till they vanished, walking very rapidly now, around -another corner. - -He picked up the mataform transceiver and looked around for the blocky -structure with the big number "10" over it. He saw it, after a moment, -near the wall with the lights and moving letters on it. - -"Kielgaard," he thought, "what do you suppose that wall is?" - -"We think it's a sort of abbreviated classified ad arrangement." - -"Sounds reasonable," Dan thought. - -Dan was by now near the blocky structure with the big numeral "10" -above it. Each of the four faces of the structure had four large doors -outlined on it--one door for each of the sixteen sections of the -level. Dan stepped up to the door marked "4" and it was immediately -outlined in red. A voice said, "Travelers are reminded of the special -restrictions now enforced at the governmental sections. To enter, you -must present valid authorization papers, or state an acceptable reason -for entering." - -Dan stood perfectly still. He was fairly sure now that he must get into -this section. But how? - -At that moment, the lights of the huge wall of moving letters caught -his attention, and Kielgaard's voice said, "Dan, look to the left, -about halfway up." - -Dan looked and saw moving letters spell out: - - S WANTED ON LEVEL 10 ALL CREDITS PAID SHORT TERM EMPLOYMENT - *MEN WITH FAST REFLEXES WANTED ON LEVEL 10 - - * * * * * - -Dan realized he had seen parts of this ad spelled out twice at the -terminal entrance. He didn't know if it was a trap or something he -could use. He said, "I'm interested in a job on Level 10." - -"You have examined the record?" - -Dan had no idea what this meant. He said, "I understand men with fast -reflexes are wanted on Level 10." - -"One moment." - -There was a short pause, then a new voice. "What we offer you is a -special credit allotment sufficient for all normal mating and purchase -needs. On account of these latest restrictions, I can't tell you -exactly what the job is, but I can say this: The rewards are great. But -you also might end up getting sprinkled over the forest. We've got a -situation down here that has to be cleaned up fast. With the special -referendum tomorrow, it might boil over and make an interstellar mess. -We want you for a night's work. At the end you're either rich or dead. -How about it?" - -Dan thought of the two words "interstellar mess," used in connection -with a "special referendum." He had the sensation that he was getting -close. - -"All right," he said. - - * * * * * - -There was a blur as mataform stations shuttled him from one place to -the next. Then he was walking into a large room holding about thirty -men, all of whom had something of the look of big cats alert for prey. - -Dan had hardly come in when a lithe man walked out on a raised -platform, looked over the waiting men, and said, "I'd like to wait till -there are more of us, but there isn't time. I'll come to the point -without delay. I'll only explain it once, so listen carefully. - -"On this level, we have the War Ruler's control center. Two levels up, -there is the planetary zoo. Among the animals in the zoo is an ape -about our size and general shape, with a thick layer of fur, strong -muscles, and a sense of humor like a white-hot rivet dropped down your -collar. By some process I don't understand, about fifty of these apes -have gotten into a storeroom in an arms depot attached to the control -center. - -"With this referendum coming up to decide whether we should join the -Stellar Union, every time there is a disturbance the election committee -blames it on one faction or another. Using their emergency powers, they -then clap on some new restriction to keep order till the referendum is -over. If there is now a disturbance near the control center itself, -tempers are going to shorten further. If the blame should be stuck on -one side or the other, true or untrue, it could swing the vote either -way. - -"We have got to get those apes out of the arms depot right away. The -trouble is, there's an alarm in the arms depot that can't be shut off -except from the control center. Fire any kind of impact or vibration -weapon in there, or change the composition of the atmosphere by pouring -in gas, and the alarm automatically goes off in guard stations all over -this level. If we had more time, we could starve them out. We don't -have the time. - -"The result is that we have to go after them with knives and clubs. -Now, the apes are fast, they gang up, they throw things, and if they -can, they'll grab you from opposite sides and pull your arms and legs -off. That's very funny--for them. So we'll have to work together as a -team and fight as hard as we know how." - - * * * * * - -After the speaker finished, there was a silence in the room. Dan was -thinking over the idea and he liked nothing about it. He had little -enough time to do his job, and he did not want to spend it being pulled -to pieces by apes. He called out, "Mind if I make a suggestion?" - -"I'm willing to try anything. Let's hear it." - -Dan said, "I don't know about anybody else here, but I am no team -player myself. Let me go in alone first. You wait half an hour and then -come in and see if there are fifty apes left." - -Everyone craned to see who was offering to fight fifty wild apes -singlehanded. - -The man on the platform turned pale, but said, "Agreed. And if you win, -you received the combined credits of all." - -Dan found himself walking down a corridor, surrounded by well-wishers, -to a room where several tables were loaded with hand-weapons. He picked -up a short weighted club, and a short double-edge, razor-sharp sword. A -few minutes later, he arrived at a heavy metal door studded with rivets -and painted green. - -Dan had intended to hide a transceiver nearby on the outside and -spend as little time in the storeroom as possible. But everything had -happened so fast, and there were so many eyes watching him, that he had -no chance to hide a mataform unit anywhere. - -There was a loud clang as the heavy door swung shut behind him. Then he -was in a big dimly lighted room with a twelve-foot aisle running down -the center, a narrower aisle along each wall, and high piles of wooden -crates and wirebound heavy cardboard cartons spaced five feet apart -to either side of the central aisle. There was a strong smell of damp -dirty fur. On the floor partway up the aisle lay what looked like a -clothed human arm. - -From the far end of the building came a series of low gruff barks. A -humping motion ran along like a wave up the aisle and over the piles of -crates toward Dan. - -He glanced briefly to either side at the solid concrete walls of the -building, felt behind him. The door was locked. - -It flashed through his mind that up till now he had had good luck on -this planet. - -Dan saw, in the nearest corner of the room, several pipes that ran -up from the floor and were bent to travel along near the ceiling. He -quickly slipped a mataform unit behind these pipes on the floor, then -cut into a cardboard carton about fifteen feet away and put another -unit inside. He tossed a third on top of the nearest pile of cartons, -mentally said a key word, and was on the pile slashing open a carton to -slide the unit inside. Then he was on the floor in the corner. - -In the dim light, the shadowy figures came toward him. Their long arms -swung up and a barrage of rifle parts, bayonets, scabbards, and helmets -smashed into the corner. Dan was fifteen feet away when they hit. An -instant later, he was back, kicking the rubble out of the corner. There -was a repeated gruff cough, then the aisles were jammed, and he had a -brief view of bared teeth in fur-covered faces, and hairy arms that -reached out to grasp him. There was a grisly laugh that started as a -low chuckle and ended on a high-pitched wavering note. - -Dan mentally pronounced a key word and he was on the pile of cartons -with a half a dozen apes. The short sword flicked out and back. Other -apes sprang from the next pile of cartons. Dan dropped the weighted -club, threw his last mataform unit toward the top of a pile across the -aisle, and an instant later had recovered it, dropped to the floor, and -raced up the aisle. - - * * * * * - -There was noise like teeth clicking together and then the wavering -laugh burst out again as the apes turned to chase him up the aisle. Dan -slid the transceiver into a slit-open carton and whirled as the leaders -rushed toward him. The short sword flashed out and back in rapid -thrusts, and abruptly Dan was on top of the first pile of cartons. He -recovered the weighted club, glanced down at the apes turning to rush -up the aisles, and then suddenly he was with them, slamming the last -few of them over the heads with the weighted club. - -He thrust, stabbed, and smashed, now in one place, now another, -always striking the gibbering horde where they were fewest and most -off-balance. - -After a long, hideous interval, there came a silence. Dan could see -that there were four heaps of dead or unconscious apes, the only live -ones were a few clinging to overhead beams with their eyes shut. - -Dan recovered his transceivers and made his way to one of the few -windows in the room. This was about seven feet from the floor, heavily -barred, with its glass panes broken out. Dan pulled himself up and -looked out at a walk and a high wall a few feet away. He cut the -sleeve of his shirt into strips and knotted the strips together with a -transceiver tied onto either end, so that one transceiver hung on the -outside and the other on the inside. - -Then Dan was outside, in an underground part of the planet where no one -was supposed to be without an official permit. - -The air seemed as fresh as outdoors, while overhead there was the -appearance of the sky on a heavily overcast day. There was light enough -to see by, but it was apparently dimmed to provide an artificial night. - -Dan saw no one, and said mentally, "Kielgaard?" - -Kielgaard's voice had a hoarse sound. "Are you out of that place?" - -"I'm out of it--thank heaven." - -"Amen. But listen, things have taken a nasty turn." - -"What's happened?" - -"We've questioned that prisoner. The outfit behind this trouble is -Trans-Space. But they don't have the control center. Instead, they've -got the headquarters of the election committee that controls the -referendum. Trans-Space is representing itself as the government of an -interstellar league of planets. They have everything set up to falsify -the vote tomorrow." - -Dan frowned. "What of it? I can still plant the mataform transceivers -and we can bring men down from above." - -"Yes, but Trans-Space has a mataform terminal set up in the terminal -election headquarters. It hooks into the local system and connects with -an outpost in the jungle on the surface. Trans-Space has been building -up to this day for over three years. The election headquarters is -manned like a fortress. It's in immediate touch with the outpost on the -surface where they've got an army of reinforcements." - -Dan stood still, thinking. He remembered the official with the carrying -case in the corridor overhead, who had said to the angry crowd, "Go to -the War Ruler." Dan mentioned the incident and said, "What about this -War Ruler and his emergency powers?" - - * * * * * - -Kielgaard said, "It looked promising to us at first, but actually -that's as if someone should say, 'England is in peril. Go to King -Arthur.'" - -"What?" said Dan, puzzled. - -"The War Ruler is a myth. A thousand years or more ago, after a -terrific internal war, they had a famine. They also had a huge army -to disband, headed by a very popular leader. The army apparently -threatened to take over the planet, but by a clever gimmick, the -government put off the crisis. They announced that their scientists had -discovered a way to halt the flow of time after the famine--and the War -Ruler marched the whole army loyally into a kind of big mausoleum where -they presumably killed the lot of them with a quick-acting gas. That is -the War Ruler's Control Center. - -"Ever since then, they've been making ritual gestures. They stock new -arms of standard design nearby, and recruit a number of fresh soldiers -to join the old--as a population control measure. To make the illusion -complete, they say that any man or woman who sincerely believes the -state to be in peril can enter the control center, by passing through -a lethal field that kills the insincere and lets the sincere through -alive. A number of people have tried it and got killed, so now they -don't try any more." - -"Where is this place?" asked Dan. - -"If we read your map rightly, that wall in front of you marks the edge -of the field surrounding it." - -Dan set down one of the mataform units and mentally pronounced a -keyword. - -He was in the shelter under the river. - -An instant later he was back by the wall, a glider and the control -helmet in his hands. He clipped a transceiver to the glider and guided -it toward a huge, dark-stained building with the look of a fortress. -He sent the glider around to the front of the building and saw two -huge bronze doors, one of which stood open. There was a totally still, -motionless look about the place that Dan did not care for. But the -glider had come to a closed inner door and that was as far as it could -go. Dan took off the control helmet, drew a deep breath and said a key -word. - -He was standing in the huge hall, before the closed door. He opened the -door. - -Before him was a room with tall slit windows, and as Dan went in, he -could see dimly, but, like a man in a hall of mirrors, what he saw did -not make sense. - -Distorted shapes and forms, with bright points and blots of light, -shifted as he moved, and shifted again as he moved closer, to see one -leg of what looked like a very old, faded table. A heavy cable ran up -the leg to the top, where there was a switch, and a bronze plate with -the words, "Open Switch." - -Dan reached for the switch, and hesitated. If Kielgaard's theory was -right, he would now be electrocuted, or otherwise disposed of. - -He swallowed hard, reached the rest of the way, and opened the switch. - -A pall of choking dust spread over the room, with the sound of coughing -all around him and the rustle of clothing and stamping of feet. - -Dan wiped his streaming eyes, and saw a man in uniform behind the desk, -all but one corner of which looked new. - -The man stared at Dan and said, "So soon? What's happened?" - - * * * * * - -Dan glanced around. The huge room was filled with tough, weary-looking -men in combat uniform, all fully armed and equipped. He thought fast, -turned back to the man behind the desk and said earnestly, "Peace -is restored to the planet. It's been rebuilt and the damage is all -repaired. But now, fantastic as it may seem, an enemy has come down to -this world from outer space--" - -The man at the desk angrily brought down his fist. "No one lives in -outer space! That's foolishness!" - -Dan said, his mind racing, "Whoever they are, they've seized a vital -communications center! They've got men on guard, armed to the teeth. -They've issued orders through captive government officials to seal off -this part of the level from the public. They're trying to take over the -whole government!" - -There was a stir in the room and a low ugly rumble. - -"I knew it," said the man behind the desk, jumping to his feet. "I knew -they'd lie low and then creep back again when things are quiet. If we'd -been demobilized, it would all have been for nothing. But we _aren't_ -demobilized!" - -Abruptly there were shouted orders, and someone was gripping Dan by the -arm. "Just lead the way. Show us where they are and we'll take care of -the rest." - -Dan said mentally, "Kielgaard?" - -Kielgaard said, "Good Lord! Go straight outside and turn right." - -Someone threw a switch beside the door. Outside, they followed Dan -to the right. Behind him, Dan heard the mutter and cough of engines -starting up. They were in a well-lighted street like that of a large -city, but there was no traffic, either because it was late or because -of the travel restrictions. - -Kielgaard said, "Next left and it's in front of you." - -Dan turned the corner. Directly before him was a large white marble -building with a lawn on either side of a broad flight of steps, and -guards on the sidewalk, the steps, and in emplacements in the shrubbery -on either side of the steps. - -One of them saw Dan and casually snapped a shot at him. Dan got back -around the corner fast and looked around. On both sides of the street, -men were lying flat at the bases of the buildings, or crouching in -doorways. Down the street, they were running up a block to the left. -Up the middle of the street came a tank. It paused just out of sight -from the building around the corner, and an amplified voice boomed out, -"This is the War Ruler. Get out of that building before the count of -thirty, or we clean you out." - -A voice began to count. There was a sound of fast footsteps on the -sidewalk around the corner, and half a dozen men carrying guns came -into view. Dan recognized some of the men who had searched the place -where he'd landed his boat. One of them, not yet quite in a position to -see the tank, called out irritably, "All right, you. Get out here!" - -Then he caught sight of the men lying at the base of the buildings, and -crouched in the doorways. He fired. - -Flashes of light came from the men by the buildings. There was a roar -and a grind and the tank rolled forward. A whistle blew. Dan heaved a -mataform transceiver toward the emplacement at the base of the stairs, -and an instant before it landed, he mentally pronounced a key word. - -In the emplacement, he jerked the men away from their gun before they -could fire a shot. He knocked them senseless, grabbed a rifle, and -sprang up onto the staircase, with the intent of sprinting to the -other side and diving into the emplacement there. Halfway across the -steps, there was a sensation as if someone had smacked him between the -shoulder blades with a rifle butt. He saw the stairs coming up to meet -him, and then he saw nothing. - - * * * * * - -He came to with a pretty face smiling at him through a sort of fog. The -fog cleared away, and a highly attractive nurse was looking at him very -admiringly. She said, "Sir, you have a visitor." - -Dan glanced around and saw Kielgaard, a sorrowful look on his face. - -Dan said as the nurse went out, "She spoke Truthian, didn't she?" - -"She did. You're still on the planet." - -"What's this 'sir' business and the pleasant smile for?" - -Kielgaard said. "You're a hero. It shows, incidentally, how the best -experts can make awe-inspiring mistakes. We gave you fast reflexes, -thinking that would make you safer. But it turns out that the planet -has a class of authorized assassins who hunt down criminals for a -livelihood, and never get too numerous because they fight each other -for extra credits and prestige. With your fast reflexes and built-in -wariness, the populace immediately spotted you for one of these lawful -assassins, so you couldn't have been more conspicuous." - -Kielgaard shook his head. "Meanwhile, Trans-Space was bringing in hired -killers to knock off the planet's lawful assassins at a huge bonus per -head, in order to create an uproar so that the election committee, -which they had already captured and conditioned, would clap on more -restrictions, thus creating more tension, so that Trans-Space could -swing the referendum at the last minute. You see, the most dangerous -thing we could have done to you was to give you these extra-fast -reflexes. But now, because of it, you're a hero." Kielgaard looked sad. - -"Luckily," said Dan, "I'm still alive. And so were all those soldiers." - -"Another mistake of the experts," said Kielgaard. "The highest -authorities on Truth strongly suspected something was wrong with the -protective field around the control center. This made them fearful -that the scientific device to halt the flow of time hadn't worked -either. This would have been a terrible catastrophe, so by a set of -rationalizations that would do credit to a bunch of habitual liars, -they evaded the whole issue. The experts and I made the mistake of -drawing the logical conclusion. I'm glad it wasn't so." - -"What happened to Trans-Space?" - -Kielgaard stopped looking sad and smiled a smile of deep satisfaction. -"Galactic has its contract with this planet. Trans-Space is in a very -anemic condition. The Truthians don't like people who lie, and they -always settle their accounts very strictly." - -Kielgaard's face subsided into its gloomy look. - -Dan said, "What's wrong?" - -"Well," said Kielgaard, "you see, you're a planetary hero for settling -that business with Trans-Space. Also, you have--let's see"--he took out -a slip of paper--"the equivalent of around six hundred thousand dollars -spending money for cleaning out those apes, plus--I don't know how to -translate this--six thousand mating credits. They have a weird system -for romance, and these credits--" - -Dan grinned. "Envious?" - -"It isn't that," said Kielgaard. "I'm thinking how I'd feel in your -place. These Truthians don't have any give in their system. Right's -right, and wrong's wrong, and they hand out rewards and punishments -irrespective of persons." - -There was a sharp rap at the door. - -Dan tried to sit up, but he was still too weak. - -Kielgaard said sadly, "I tried to reason with them, but I might as well -have talked to a wall." - -"Listen," said Dan, becoming alarmed. "What's wrong?" - -"I don't have the heart to tell you," said Kielgaard. - - * * * * * - -Picking up a large briefcase, he said, "Do what you think best. I might -mention that we're giving you a bonus, though I suppose that's no -consolation." - -The rap at the door was repeated and there were sounds of arguments -outside. - -"What's in that briefcase?" said Dan. - -"A big version of the kind of mataform transceiver you used. There's a -dreadnaught of ours orbiting the planet with another transceiver like -this on board. The key word, in case you should have use for it, is -'Krakior.'" - -The door burst open and three men came in, arguing with a man in a -white jacket. - -"That doesn't matter," said the first man, a familiar-looking -individual who was opening a square case with carrying handle. "The -only question is, was it or was it not an unauthorized kill, and is -this the man? We have our checker set up to answer this question -and that's all there is to it." He glanced at Dan. "Hold out your -fingertips, please, and touch those plates. Purely a routine check." - -Behind the man with the case were two men with armbands and shields. -One glanced disinterestedly at Dan and cocked his gun. - -Dan looked at the head of A Section and said fervently, "Thank you, -Kielgaard." - -The doctor in the white jacket was arguing to no visible effect as the -tube was held to Dan's eyes, snapped back into the case, and the case -clapped shut, to give its loud alarm clang. - -The assassin with the gun calmly leveled it at Dan and fired. - -All he hit was a suddenly empty bed. - -Dan had said the key word. - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's A Tourist Named Death, by Christopher Anvil - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A TOURIST NAMED DEATH *** - -***** This file should be named 60947.txt or 60947.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/0/9/4/60947/ - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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