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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..0619801 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #69280 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/69280) diff --git a/old/69280-0.txt b/old/69280-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 71eef73..0000000 --- a/old/69280-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1962 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Simple psiman, by F.L. Wallace - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Simple psiman - -Author: F.L. Wallace - -Release Date: November 1, 2022 [eBook #69280] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SIMPLE PSIMAN *** - - - - - - SIMPLE PSIMAN - - By F. L. WALLACE - - [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from - Startling Stories Fall 1954. - Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that - the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] - - -He slipped on the jacket and scanned around the corner of the hall -outside before he got to the door. - -"I psi," whispered the pin in his lapel. - -Egan Rains let go of the knob and felt for the emblem. It was -inconspicuous, smaller than his thumbnail, the disc of the moon against -a dark blue background. The markings delineated a face on the moon, and -two radiating antennae. - -Rains frowned and rolled it in his fingers. He thought he'd stripped -himself of unnecessary identification. No harm done since no one -in India had seen it on him, or heard it--yet. He looked at the -emblem regretfully, turned it over. The back was inscribed: American -Association of Psi Astronomers. It had sentimental value but he'd have -to get rid of it. - -He went to the disposer slot and dropped it into the wall. The insignia -came whizzing back and struck the opposite wall. Muttering that foreign -devices never worked the way they should, he dug it out. He examined -it cursorily and noticed a tiny nick in the surface. That was all. The -material was harder than the tough blades of the disposer. His respect -for the techniques which made the pin mounted. - -Someone walked by in the hall. Had the noise it made when it struck -been heard? He let his mind reach out delicately. - -"I pthi," grumbled the pin. - -Now it was lisping--and it was louder. The blow must have damaged the -speech crystals inside. Hurriedly he shut off his thoughts and the -insignia responded with silence. - -Primarily, it was a recognition device enabling people of the same -talent, psimen, to identify each other. It served a purpose in America -where there were so few, but in India, where mentalist activity was far -greater, it was a handicap. It would be gabbling all the time. - -Rains crumpled a sheet of paper around the little mechanism and tossed -it gently into the chute. The disposer ground noisily and, as he half -expected, the pin came hurtling back. He pried it out of the wall -again. This time it was slightly bent. - -"The disposer is for the convenience of guests. It's set to return all -jewelry accidentally dropped into it." - -Rains jumped and looked around wildly. He was certain there wasn't -anyone in the room, and he hadn't observed a service screen. He still -couldn't see either. But there was an eye staring at him from the wall. - -"Shortages," explained the eye somberly, noting his bewilderment. "Our -country doesn't yet produce all the material we need. Lacking full size -tubes, the management of the hotel ordered smaller ones. They serve the -purpose." - -Only slightly larger than life, the eye blinked at him. It filled the -entire screen. "If you must get rid of jewelry I suggest a pawnshop. -It's more economical." - -Rains glanced back with casual cageyness. How much had the other seen, -or overheard? Probably nothing. He'd have noticed the eye. "Sorry. I -was throwing an odd cuff link away." - -"It was odd," conceded the eye. "A little harder and it wouldn't have -come back." The eye blurred. "Can't have the disposer damaged, so we -draw the line. If it's as hard as a diamond it passes through." - -It was a convenient line and a profitable one, Rains noted absently as -he went closer to observe the inconspicuous screen. Was it so tiny -that it could have been on without his noticing? - -"People don't throw away diamonds the way they used to," the eye -complained. - - * * * * * - -Rains let him talk. This was something on which he had to reassure -himself. And there was only one way to do it. The fellow was in a -service department, somewhere in the distance. But Rains was certain he -could reach him. - -"I spy," said the pin, triggered by telepathy. "I spy." - -The second trip to the disposer had damaged the crystals grievously. It -had a vocabulary of two words and they never changed--but now they had. -An outsider would get the wrong impression if he heard the distorted -message. Rains clamped his fingers tighter on the emblem. But even that -relatively slight pressure forced the speech crystals closer. "I spy," -cried the pin. It seemed thunderous. - -It took prolonged mental effort for Rains to remember that what he had -to do was stop probing. The voice of the insignia was obligingly silent -when he disengaged his mind. - -The eye glared at him suspiciously. "You say something?" - -"Not a thing." - -"Didn't think so, unless you can talk without moving your lips." The -eye disappeared and was followed on the screen by an unidentified lump -of flesh, possibly a nose. Then the eye reappeared. Perhaps it was the -other eye. "May have been tourist kids outside my window playing your -favorite American game." - -Rains nodded in relief. The voice had seemed loud to him but not to -the other. His hands had smothered the reverberation. His nerves were -merely on edge. "They love baseball," he said politely. - -"Not baseball," said the eye. "I believe it had another name once, Hide -and Seek. Now it's called I Spy." The eye blinked rapidly. "Well, so -long." - -When he was alone, Rains thought swiftly. His brief mental contact with -the eye's mind convinced him he hadn't been observed in any suspicious -act. That went to the credit side. - -He felt the emblem. It was definitely not an asset. He thrust it -determinedly into his pocket. He couldn't endanger his chances of -finding the one man in India who meant so much to civilization and -astronomy. - -He rode down and went out of the hotel and onto the street. -Momentarily, he wished he could go back. But the pin drove him past the -long AFUA line. - -In 1976 India was contradictory. In the last few decades it had -achieved industrialization not much below Western standards. But it was -densely populated and living patterns were not always equal to those -of Europe and America. Rapid technical advances created new jobs and -wiped them out again over night. A highly trained craftsman in the -morning was often an unemployed vagabond by noon. Until he was taught -new skills and could be reabsorbed back into the labor force he was an -Applicant For Unofficial Aid. His dignity was such that he was never a -beggar. Anyway, begging was forbidden by law. - -Rains had no way of turning off his hearing. The best he could do was -to walk swiftly and try to ignore the pleas. A few left their position -in the AFUA line and trailed after him, but eventually they gave up and -returned to the hotel to await other tourists. - -It wasn't difficult for Rains to adopt the mannerisms of a sightseer. -This was the vast motherland from which European languages and -nations themselves had come in the remote past; complex, bewildering, -containing the old while striving for the new. Cows in the streets -imperiled jet cars and pedestrians. On the pinnacles of skyscrapers, -holy men lay down on beds of nails while television cameras carried the -picture to faithful followers in remote villages. Beside hydroponic -gardens, fakirs mystified the curious with the ancient rope trick. - -If his mission hadn't interfered, Rains would have liked to study -these mentalists for his own satisfaction. He was a psiman himself, a -powerful one, though of an elementary variety. He was a telepath, a man -of one talent with no other ability--a simple psiman. - - * * * * * - -The emblem weighed as heavily in his pocket as it did in his mind. So -far he hadn't found a quiet street on which to drop it. With so many -people thronging the city, every city in India, it wasn't going to -be easy. Nevertheless he wandered on, turning and twisting through -boulevards and alleys until he came to the ideal place. - -He slipped his hand in his pocket, jingling coins, and came out with -the little talisman. He angled toward the curb and let it fall from -his fingers. He relaxed mentally as soon as he was rid of it. Sweepers -would brush it up and though it might attract another telepath's -attention it couldn't be traced back to him. - -He swerved to miss a cow that ambled down the street and smiled -amiably. India was a romantic place, but it didn't conform to the -highest standards of civilization. - -A hand plucked at his elbow. "Pardon." - -Rains turned. He recognized one of the men from the AFUA line. He'd -been wrong; not all of them had become discouraged and gone back. Rains -appraised him quickly, a squat fellow, not very tall, but he made up in -width what he lacked in height. He wore a loin or ghandi cloth and a -remarkably ugly turban. It was the usual attire for this part of India. -His limbs, though not long, were of enormous muscular girth. - -"I don't give alms," said Rains, tearing his gaze from the -fascinatingly horrible turban. Passers by were staring at the man too. - -The native's eyes held the impervious look of the unemployed. "I didn't -ask, sir. You lost something." He held out his hand and the emblem was -in it. - -Rains snatched it in dismay. The native's face seemed innocent enough. -Hesitating for only an instant, Rains made a quick mental stab, -feigning a coughing spasm while he did so. "I psi, pthi, spy," bleated -the pin. He jangled coins loudly and coughed harder. - -Quickly he withdrew his mind. The Hindu didn't suspect a thing, though -his eyes widened at Rains' impromptu performance. It didn't matter; -he'd ascertained the other wasn't a telepath. Rains flipped a few coins -toward him, said thanks and walked away. - -He glanced back. The native was still trailing behind, evidently not -satisfied with the reward. As long as the fellow was behind him, Rains -didn't want to drop the emblem again. And he couldn't keep it. - -Another idea came up. From the hotel he'd seen a stream winding -through the city. It was yellow and muddy, an even better place for -the disposal of the tricky little item. He angled off until he saw the -river ahead, and noted that the native was still behind. He didn't want -to go through that again! - -His mind whirred smoothly as he stopped and bought gum. Chewing was -not to his taste, but surmounting his dislike he peeled back the -wrapper and thrust the stick in his mouth. He saved the wrapper and -folded it over the emblem. As he crossed the bridge he tossed it, foil -and all, into the river. Let it yammer away, sinking deeper in the mud -or encysted in a crocodile's belly. Now it couldn't betray him. - -But, in a way, it had. In his effort to get rid of the incriminating -article he'd overlooked other things. There was a mind laying heavily -against his. He struggled away, but for every retreat the intruder -advanced. - -It wasn't actually entering his thoughts. It stayed outside, gradually -surrounding him. When had the invasion begun? He couldn't say with -precision, but it couldn't have been long ago. It was a heavy mind, -penetrating, not too acute. But it was endowed with brute strength and -it was suggesting thoughts he didn't want to have. - -For instance, he felt an intense desire to seek a shady spot beside a -cool stream and lie down. Pleasantly textured grass would ease his skin -and flies would buzz harmoniously near, tickling sensuously as they -stung. Warm and moist. Fluid. - -Rains was sweating. He had to shake off this insidious attack. - - * * * * * - -First, he had to locate the source. Not the AFUA beggar. He was near, -but Rains had already ascertained he wasn't a telepath. The street was -now crowded with men and beasts. That was the trouble; there was no -easy way to pick out his assailant. - -Which one? Rains glanced around. The white bearded ascetic next to him? -He was the holy hermit, telepathic type. But so were dozens of others, -most of them with luxuriant white beards. Rains probed, but got no -results. - -In America he'd fenced off combined telepathic assaults of the best -of his fellows. He'd expected more competition in India, but this was -beyond his expectation. The defense he'd prepared seemed weak for what -it had to ward off. - -An olive-skinned, dark-eyed girl went by with a gliding graceful walk. -With a little help from his imagination he could conjecture every -curve. It was sufficiently distracting. Me plus thee equals whee, he -thought swiftly. But this is hardly a Euclidean proposition, though I -would like our parallel paths to meet. - -Was he too hopeful, or did the surrounding thoughts retreat somewhat? -The girl turned and retraced her steps. Me plus thee equals three, her -reply came back firmly. What do you have in mind? - -She wasn't thinking along the right lines. There was a mental wedding -scene uncomfortably close. He went on, ignoring her opportunistic -suggestion. - -I should have known, she thought frozenly when he didn't respond. -You're looking for another kind of girl. She took herself out of the -picture. - -It was dangerous to spread his thoughts around. Something less personal -was in order. Nonsense was reputed to work. He searched and found some, -repeating it silently. I was thinking of a plan to dye my whiskers -green, and always wear so large a fan they never could be seen. - -An ascetic, there seemed to be hundreds around, walked by. I was -thinking of a plan--continued Rains, his effort intense--to dye my -whiskers green.... - -The ascetic bellowed as a cow butted his side and began munching his -beard. A green beard! The Hindu squirmed and twisted loose, backing -away from the cow. The cow lollopped out her tongue and tucked a -whisp of beard into her mouth, chewing away as if on grass, which it -resembled. Purposefully she advanced. - -The old Hindu scrambled away, clutching the remains of his beard. It -was now green, but it had been white. Rains could swear he had been -looking at it during the instant of change. The cow lurched after the -old man. She broke into a trot and the trot stretched into a gallop -and the two of them disappeared down the street. - -All around there were men with green beards. It wasn't natural. They -stared at each other and then their eyes glided down. Muttering in -foreign tongues they stalked away. Rains could understand their -consternation. What had caused their beards to change? Did it have -anything to do with the rhyme? - -But there was something more important. The mind that had been trying -to invade his had gone away. He thought back. The mental influence had -vanished with the cow. - -An animal telepath? In India it wasn't totally unexpected. It was -the reason he was here. And the thoughts were those a cow would -have--internal evidence couldn't be ignored. It was frightening that -the cow was a stronger telepath than he, but it was also a source of -relief. At least the animal hadn't filched any secrets from him. - -He had another conclusion to allay his anxiety. The girl he'd mentally -whistled at had been able to intercept his thoughts. Learning that he -wasn't interested in what she wanted, she had politely if frigidly -withdrawn. Mental courtesy? Well, why not? - -Even in India there weren't many telepaths, say one in five or ten -thousand. But considering the density of population, that was a -lot. They had to evolve a code of mental conduct or life would be -intolerable. No one violated another's thoughts except for good reason. -If he watched himself, Rains thought, he'd have no cause for alarm. No -one would snatch his plans from his mind. - -Rains walked on, wondering who or what had changed the white beards -to green. A powerful mind at work, but not the cow; he was certain of -this. Nor the girl. - - * * * * * - -Rains fished discreetly about. Not the least hint. But the nonsense -rhyme had influenced someone, and that person was now lost to him. - -If he'd had the time, Rains would have liked to find and study the -unusual man who'd saved him with that green beard trick. An unorthodox -talent, limited but interesting. After the menace that hung far out -in space was ended, he would come back and search out his unseen -benefactor. - -Regretfully Rains cancelled these interesting thoughts, and looked -around for his indefatigable AFUA follower. The man was gone, -despairing at last of wheedling more alms. Or perhaps he'd been -frightened by the strange occurrence on the street. - -Rains wandered back to the hotel. Upon approaching it he stopped. The -AFUA line had grown longer, curling around the block, ending almost -where it began. It wouldn't help to go to the back entrance, because -the line was there too. - -Rains lowered his head and plunged on toward the front entrance. A hand -touched his elbow. "Guide?" inquired a voice. Someone asking for work, -not money, was unusual. - -The voice was faintly familiar. Rains swung around. It was the man -who'd handed back the emblem. For this Rains owed him nothing. And yet -he did. Because of this he'd been forced to find a better means of -disposing of it. - -He did need a guide, but he hadn't intended to hire one until he got to -Benares, far to the north, where he hoped his search would end. The man -he had to find was completely unknown, and Rains had only faint clues -to go on, so he'd have to rely on his telepathic power to uncover more -information. - -Rains beckoned and the man stepped out of the AFUA line, no recognition -in his eyes. "Let's see your license," Rains said. The man fumbled in -his turban and produced it. - -Rains read silently, "Experience one year." Too bad. His mission -couldn't be trusted to a beginner. "I'll think about it," he said, -handing back the card. "If you don't find anything else, be here -tomorrow. I may come out." Tomorrow he'd be on his way to Benares. - -The native folded the license into his turban and went back. He was -now at the very end of the line because he'd left his place to follow -Rains. He'd get little tossed to him today, and the coins Rains had -given him wouldn't buy much. Rains could sense despair. - -Rains beckoned him back. "Do you have any other skills that might be -useful?" he asked. "What did you do before you became a guide?" - -The eyes brightened, then faded in quick defeat. "Nothing you'd want," -he mumbled. "For ten years I was a dyeman." - -Rains thought back to the scene of the mental ambush. Beards. Green -beards. The dyeman had been near at the time. - -"Dyeman?" he repeated, trying to keep the excitement out of his voice. -Even if it actually had taken place as he thought, it was only a minor -talent. But there was always empathy between psipeople, even though -their abilities might be unrelated. He could expect closer cooperation -from this man than from any other guide he might hire. - -"I may be able to use you," he said. "Come in. We'll talk." He'd -discovered a new field for Rhine investigation. They'd mention it in -history books, after they described how he saved the world. - - * * * * * - -Gowru Chandit accepted the drink gratefully. Rains leaned back and -said, "Is this what you're trying to say? You first noticed your -ability when the dye didn't arrive at the textile factory. You had a -quota to meet. In panic you ran the cloth through anyway, and it came -out the color you wanted." - -Gowru nodded. - -"Can you tell me how you do it?" - -The Hindu looped his hand near his head and shrugged. - -Rains nodded. Any other answer would have been surprising. "What did -they say at the factory when you told them?" - -Gowru grinned slyly. "Alas, I'm a poor man. I didn't tell them." - -Rains could follow the man's thoughts as long as they were composed -in English. Alloted chemicals, Gowru smuggled everything out of the -plant that wasn't used and sold it to other firms. It should have been -profitable. "Why aren't you still with them?" Actually he knew the -answer. A new process had displaced the dyeman. - -"I soon became foreman of the entire plant. I alone had charge of all -coloring. I was wildly prosperous, what with one thing and another. It -was my downfall." - -"I don't understand." He did, but it was best to lead the man on, to -explore all possibilities. - -"I drank," said Gowru. "I had money for it and I drank too much." - -"And lost your ability?" - -"It was not so simple," said Gowru. "No, my ability became stronger -than ever." He meditated briefly. "Picture me, the master dyeman -who alone colors all the material that passes through the plant. So -skillful am I, so beautiful the colors that the poorest cloth becomes -transfigured and commands premium prices. - -"I arrive at work one morning and I am sick. I go into my secret mixing -room and lose my breakfast there. My head throbs. I raise it and look -at the chart. So much green, so much red and yellow, so much everything. - -"The chemicals are there and I put them into the suitcase which the -management graciously allows me to take in and out of the factory. The -pipes which fill the various vats flow through this room. As I have -always done, I concentrate on the wanted colors, associating them with -the proper vats. But my head hurts, you understand. Alternately, it -grows large and small in defiance of the laws of physics." - -Gowru Chandit paused to shake his head sorrowfully in remembrance of -that day. "I concentrate until all the vats are filled and then, as -usual, go to sleep. All day the automatic machinery hums. Yards pass -through the vats, bolt after bolt is dyed, dried and wound, and nobody -looks because this operation is automatic. - -"Then, the manager comes to inspect production and rub his hands at the -profits that will accrue to him. He unwinds a sample, looks at it and -screams." Gowru stared mournfully at Rains. "Retroactive to that scream -I am fired." - -"But why?" - -Gowru loosened a fold of his turban and spread it out so the pattern -was visible. "I was projecting. Did you ever see such a headache -reproduced in full color? Not merely a headache, but also a hangover." - -Rains moved the drink hastily away. He wanted to speak, but it might -be dangerous to open his mouth. The crisis passed. "Put it away!" -But Gowru had already refolded it so that the pattern was no longer -discernible. The cloth was an unpleasant souvenir. - - * * * * * - -Egan Rains was silent, studying the Hindu. The man was honest and -loyal, that much he could tell. But though he spoke English well, he -didn't think extensively in it and most of his thoughts were hidden in -a language Rains couldn't translate, mentally or otherwise. "Can you -teleport?" he asked. - -"A mind carrier?" said Gowru. "No, I'm only a dyeman. I can do nothing -else." - -He expected that; there weren't many who had multiple powers. "Do you -know anyone who can?" - -"I have a friend who plays ping pong with it." - -That was telekinetics, not teleportation, but it might be what he was -after. So far as the Rhine Institute knew, people with either ability -existed only in India. "How good is your friend?" he asked. - -"At ping pong, very good. At tennis, poor. The ball is too heavy; he -can't move it fast enough." - -Then that was a false lead. The person he wanted had to be much more -adept and powerful. Rains would have to look farther and Gowru would -have to help him. "Gowru, I'm an astronomer," he began. - -The Hindu raised his eyebrows to express interest. "I've always had a -soft spot in my head for astronomy," he declared. - -Evidently the idiom did change from country to country. "My colleagues -and I at Palomar have discovered a new comet," he went on. "It is a -strange comet, bigger than most, almost a tiny planet. The composition -is stranger still, mostly oxygen and water." - -Gowru nodded sagely. "And you want me to color the water. That I can -do, any hue you want. But if there is much air and you want me to color -that too, you will have to be satisfied with a light tint, a pale blue -or green or pink." - -"The color doesn't matter," said Rains gravely, and poured himself -another drink. "In seventeen years that comet is due to strike Earth." - -The Hindu bowed his head. "I've had a feeling of doom since you -mentioned the comet," he said simply. - -"Wrong," said Rains. "No doom. In seventeen years we'll have rockets -that can meet it out in space. We'll load hydrogen bombs into rockets -and blow the comet into fine crystals. But the orbit of the particles -will still intersect that of Earth, and it will fall as rain." - -Gowru searched his memory for a foreign concept. "Forty days and forty -nights?" - -"I don't know how long," said Rains wearily. "But whatever happens, the -water level of the oceans will rise--from fifty to three hundred feet -is the present estimate. After we study it longer we'll know exactly. -The land area will shrink, but that alone isn't disastrous. Forewarned, -not many lives would be lost. Most people will have time to move to -higher ground. - -"However, there's another aspect. Air is also present in the comet and -will be added to our atmosphere. The earth will grow warmer and the -higher latitudes will become habitable. Perhaps we'll gain almost as -much living space as we lose." - -"Then let's rejoice," said Gowru, reaching for the bottle. "It's not -every comet which is so considerate." - -Rains replenished his own glass. "It's not an occasion for rejoicing. -We've calculated that, with the additional atmosphere and moisture, -astronomy will become extinct. Cloud covered, the planet will be much -like Venus. No one will be able to see the stars." He didn't mention -that a few of the highest mountains would still rise above the clouds. -He didn't because those mountains were in India and that country would -then have a monopoly on the science. - -Gowru wrinkled his face in pleasure at the whisky and then assumed -a properly doleful expression. "I see. In seventeen years you'll be -unemployed." He added consolingly. "Maybe they'll give you a pension." - -Rains' vision was growing a little fuzzy, but his intellectual goals -had not changed. "It's not the pension," he said irritably. "I intend -to save astronomy." - -"It's not reasonable to be so obstinate when the heavens decree -otherwise," declared Gowru. "You should cultivate an interest in other -things. Girls are a nice hobby." - -Rains muttered something about girls and Gowru interrupted. - -"Good. We can start with girls and there's no telling where we'll end. -I'm a guide and I can help in such matters. How many do you want?" - -"I've only a normal--" - - * * * * * - -Again Gowru interrupted. "I was afraid of that--only a normal interest -in girls. You should moderate your desires. I can't help you with so -many." He shook his head sadly. "Let's get back to astronomy." - -"I expect to," said Rains coldly. "As I was saying, at Palomar we have -the giant telescope--" - -"The big inch," said Gowru fondly. - -"You're thinking of something else," said Rains. "In addition to the -big telescope we have a secret instrument not duplicated nor imagined -elsewhere--a psiscope." Thoughtfully he poured the remaining whisky -into his glass. - -"Don't ask me how it works. It's designed for use by people of psi -powers, of which I'm one. It's incredibly powerful and accurate. With -it we've learned things that other astronomers won't know for several -years. The data on the comet is one example." - -He raised the glass and let the liquid trickle down his throat. "We've -also learned things that astronomers with conventional instruments will -never find out--that there are teleports in India." - -Gowru struggled with himself, and decided to hoard the whisky in his -glass. He sipped delicately at it. "I could have told you that and I -don't have a psiscope. But how did you find out?" - -"Imagine the comet swinging nearer the sun. Under the terrific -radiation, the frozen ball of water melts and the atmosphere expands. -In our psiscope, clearly illuminated, is an object no one else can see -at that distance. It is a peculiar object, man made, and found only -in one place on Earth." He paused. "At present we don't have a rocket -capable of going to the moon. And yet this object was transported much -farther. Therefore, it had to be teleported there." - -"Logical," agreed Gowru. "What was this object?" - -"I can tell you the city from which it came; you'll have to know -anyway--Benares. But my colleagues and I have decided we can't tell -anyone what it was we saw on the comet." - -"Benares," mused the Hindu. "I know the city well. I was there last -year looking for work." - -"With your help," said Rains, "we intend to contact this teleport." - -"Who's we?" - -"My colleagues and I at Palomar." - -"And also your government?" - -"Our government doesn't enter into this. We couldn't convince them if -we tried since they don't believe in psi powers. No, this is solely -our problem. We're financed in part by the Rhine Institute and we have -other funds which were diverted for the purpose." - -Gowru sighed. No matter which way he tilted it, there wasn't another -drop in his glass. "What are you going to do with this teleport after -you find him?" - -"Persuade him to come to the United States. We'll get him out of India -some way." The country wouldn't take kindly to an attempt to smuggle -out one of their mentalists, but it could be done. - -"What good will that do?" questioned Gowru. "Even the most experienced -teleport can't change the path of the comet. It's too big to move." - -"He won't have to move it," said Rains. "We've positive proof that he -did transport a--uh--large object to the comet. He did it once and he -can do it again, except this time it will be a hydrogen bomb." - -"I thought so," said the Hindu disgustedly. "I don't want any part of -it. Where will you get that hydrogen bomb except from your government? -Let them develop their own teleports, or approach our country through -proper diplomatic channels." - -"You're not thinking," said Rains. "With a teleport working for us we -don't ask the army for a hydrogen bomb. One minute they have it safely -hidden, and the next instant it's inside the comet. Let the military -boys worry about how it got away and where it went. - -"You see, the comet's been captured by the sun and moves in a very -eccentric orbit just inside Jupiter. If we vaporize it now, it will -lose most of its mass to those two bodies. There'll be little left to -fall on Earth." He nodded approvingly to himself. The plan would be -effective, if he found the teleport. - - * * * * * - -Gowru's eyes expanded, enlarged by his own inner fires. "Let's drink to -it," he said, extending his glass. - -Rains sighed. As a secret agent he needed an analytically clear mind -at all times. But he also had to have someone who understood India -better than any American could, someone who would work with him -wholeheartedly. It wouldn't pay to offend such a person. He opened a -bottle, and later, still another.... - -The train wound through the provinces and cities en route--Bangalore, -Jubbulpore, Jetadore, finally arriving at Benares. They could have gone -more conveniently by air, every sensible Indian did, but presumably it -was worth something to maintain the pose of tourist and guide. - -From the window of his hotel Rains could see the Ganges, a muddy, -sluggish river still, but an improvement over what it had been thirty -years before. More sanitary too; burial customs could not be completely -changed in a generation, but the three phoenix barges anchored off -shore automatically disposed of the bodies to the satisfaction of all -but the most fanatic. - -Southward were the spires of a rather shabby building he could -identify from photographs, the Rhine Institute of the Ganges. Its -value was dubious, of missionary rather than research caliber. In -the heart of the mentalist country, it had little prestige and not -much more patronage. It was questionable who spied most on the -other, the American staff or the supposed native converts. Each side -took precautions, but there were startlingly few devices which were -effective against an accomplished telepath. - -Still, mechanical devices partly reduced the advantages of the -Indians. Chewing gum parked in the right places often concealed -ingenious mechanisms, and even the birds which were regularly fed at -the Institute sometimes swallowed grain-sized instruments which were -carried impartially to all the public buildings of the city. - -This didn't concern Rains. The Rhine Institute of the Ganges could -solve its own problems or fail to do so. But somewhere in Benares there -was a teleport. Where? - -The regular reports--coded, scrambled, shielded, unshielded, -unscrambled, decoded--had mentioned great mentalist activity, but -hadn't been able to pin it down. Fakirs and holy men abounded; there -were at least a dozen telepaths in the city better than Rains, not to -mention clairvoyants. - -Communication from the Institute had always been erratic, -understandable in view of the hazards. Rains had not seen a report from -this branch in three months. Perhaps in the interim they had uncovered -more information. He would have to find out. "Gowru," he asked, "are -there many fogs in Benares?" - -The Hindu wrinkled his face in thought. "I've been here when there -were. Not now though; wrong time of the year." - -That was not good. Rains didn't want to expose himself, but he had to -get in touch with the director of the Institute. - -"If you want a fog, I'll get you one," said Gowru. - -Rains glanced up. The Hindu was a queer fellow. Rains had dismissed the -talk of coloring the comet's atmosphere as drunken boasting, but what -if it wasn't? - -"Can you actually create fog?" he asked doubtfully. - -"Sure. Want a sample?" - - * * * * * - -Perhaps he should, but too many fogs at this time would be suspicious. -He shook his head, "If you say you can deliver, I believe you. The only -question is, can you cover most of the city?" - -"The whole northern part of India," Gowru assured him. - -"That much won't be necessary. How long can you hold it?" - -"Depends on the wind," said his guide, extending his thumb and -forefinger and rubbing them together delicately. "Air's slippery stuff. -It fades. I'll have to concentrate." - -Rains sighed. He'd learned that when Gowru concentrated he had to be -diluted. He set out a bottle.... - -Rains walked along the bank of the Ganges and glanced at his watch. An -hour to sunset. The fog was due at any moment. The Institute was a few -blocks away, but he had memorized a map of the area and would be able -to get there no matter what happened. - -He adjusted his tie in a mirror. No one behind him, but he didn't think -they'd be that crude about it here. He practised shutting off his -thoughts. His defense was adequate in America, but he wasn't sure how -effective it would be against a first rate Indian mentalist. - -He went into a curio shop and picked up a small bronze statue of a -four-armed god. He was about to pay for it when the woman behind the -counter shrieked. He glanced up at her. She was merely a few feet away, -but he could scarcely see her through the thick black smoke that curled -through the room. - -"Fire!" screamed the woman and ran out. - -He hurried to the door and then thought of the statue in his hands. It -wouldn't do to get involved in a petty theft charge. He ran back to the -counter and laid the money down. On second thought he left the statue -there too and stumbled out of the shop. - -The street was jammed. Storekeepers stood on the curb and shouted, and -out of the buildings thick smoke came pouring. Rains sniffed. It looked -like smoke but had no smell. He thought he knew what it was. This was -the fog Gowru had said he would create. - -It was a good fog but it was placed wrong--inside buildings instead of -filling the free air overhead. It had the opposite effect from what -he wanted. He had expected to approach the Institute through dim and -shrouded streets. As it was, he had to elbow people into the gutter in -order to move. Fire sirens wailed in a dozen directions and spotting -copters took to the air and started circling around. - -"Gowru!" he thought sharply, but either the distance was too great or -his thoughts were swallowed up by the multitude around him. Contact was -impossible. - -He'd have to do the best he could; confusion might cover him. A fire -truck skidded to a stop beside him and frantic firemen coupled the -hoses and went to work. Drenched and swearing Rains fought his way down -the street. - -As abruptly as it began, the smoke stopped. At least the drunken Gowru -had had enough sense to look out the window. Or maybe the sirens had -brought him around. Rains shuddered; he could almost see the contents -of the bottle diminishing as Gowru apprised himself of the mistake. - -He was a block or so from the Institute and the streets were still -crowded. Some people had re-entered the stores as soon as the -smoke-like stuff stopped pouring out. Others, more fearful, remained -outside. - -They didn't remain outside long. Overhead, in the sunset sky, -an ominous cloud formed. It descended rapidly upon the city. -Apprehensively, Rains watched the copters disappear into the dense -cloud, and then decided against worrying about them. Radar equipped, -they could trace their way through anything. - - * * * * * - -Shopkeepers gazed at the sky, shuddered, and hurried inside. They -closed windows and doors and bolted them. The reason escaped him until -he observed firemen clambering into trucks which roared away as fast as -they had come. They wore masks, all of them. It was gas they feared. - -The fool was compounding the mistake. A quiet, ordinary fog which -gathered inconspicuously in the hollows and low places and gradually -engulfed the city was what he wanted. This sort of thing was hardly -what he had specified. - -There was no help for it, and as long as he had the streets to himself -he might as well go ahead. Before he reached the Institute the fog fell -on him with an almost physical impact. Streetlights winked on briefly -and were snuffed out as the fog descended lower, still burning but not -discernible at street level. - -He shuffled slowly along, touching buildings. This kept him from -getting completely lost. There was no one following him physically, he -was sure of that. They could still keep track of him mentally and he -wouldn't be aware of it, but he doubted that anyone was interested in -him at a time like this. They'd be too concerned with the fog. - -The dyeman was good--too good. - -He stopped at a doorway, pressing his face close to the glass to read -the sign on it. It was the Institute, but he didn't intend to enter. - -He stepped back from the door and squeezed behind a statue. He was as -close to the director as he could expect to get without being observed -by the spies on the staff. Telepathically he located the director's -office and whispered, also telepathically. There was no reply. - -It took him a minute to determine why--the director was asleep. -It was better that way. The man wouldn't know he had come, taken -the information and left. He stirred around in the sleeping mind, -delicately so as not to awaken him. Then he had the information. - -Gommaf was the man he wanted. Rains grinned to himself. Gommaf was the -teleport, or knew who the teleport was--he couldn't be sure which. That -was all he needed. - -He wriggled out from behind the statue and walked quickly away. The fog -wasn't as intense as it had been, though it slowed him considerably. -Gowru must be getting tired. Streetlights were burning faintly overhead. - -The fog changed color as he went along, an indiscreet slip. There was -a slight brown tinge to it that wasn't altogether pleasant. He walked -faster and his stomach felt upset. - -Gowru was playing with the fog; that was the only interpretation Rains -could place on it. Colors shifted through the spectrum. He wished the -Hindu would stop it. A queasy, dirty violet didn't inspire confidence -in his own digestive system. - -In the midst of all that violet, a low-flying biliously pink cloud -came toward him. He turned his head and gulped, but it didn't help -appreciably. In the direction he now faced there was a vile green fog -shape. It looked something like an appendix, but it was much larger. - -He was wrong. Gowru Chandit was not playing--this was for keeps. A -valuable man, no doubt of it, but he drank too fast and couldn't -control his reactions. - -As he looked, the appendix shape writhed slowly and glowed. Other fog -forms began materializing convulsively around him, not all of them -bearing morphological resemblance to human organs, but not necessarily -of more pleasing appearance because of that. And the colors--Rains -closed his eyes but the damnable fluorescence seemed to penetrate. - -The river was nearby, for which he was thankful. He staggered to it, -lay down on the embankment, and retched feebly. The Ganges below -became less sanitary for a time. There were certain disadvantages to -psi powers, he reflected. This was the first time he had reacted to -another's nausea. - -Later, he made it back to his quarters. - - * * * * * - -The boat slid swiftly and smoothly past the cremation barges anchored -in the river. The design of the barges was distinctive, two long -cylindrical pontoons connected fore and aft by beams which curved above -the surface of the water. In the middle of each pontoon was a squat -affair resembling a searchlight, each of which was focused inward -toward the open space at the center of the barge. Upstream was a long -line of small wooden rafts. One at a time they were allowed to float -between the pontoons. The searchlights flashed and the beams crossed in -the center. The raft burst into flame, water boiled for an instant, and -the corpse was utterly consumed. The barge was ready for the next body. - -Rains glanced at the mechanism. No matter where he saw it, he'd always -be able to identify it. One of them was much newer than the others. -This was significant. - -Gowru was scowling, so Rains refrained from mentioning the barges. -There were many religions in India, now more than ever, and each had -its own burial customs. Some rituals were offensive to other sects and -he saw no need to antagonize his guide over such a trivial matter. - -They were both silent as the boat pulled up to the civic center pier. -Government offices and allied functions were situated together in an -annex outside the city proper; a sensible solution in a city as ancient -as Benares, but one which Rains did not particularly like. There were -just too many policemen and security officers around. He shrugged. That -was probably the least of his problems. - -They mingled with the crowd, sightseers and officeworkers, that -rushed off the ship. In a few minutes they were in the center of the -government city. Police everywhere, but Rains didn't let that bother -him. Presently they came to an impressive building and he stood on the -sidewalk and pretended to admire it. - -There were heavily barred windows and guards at the entrance. "Here it -is," he said softly. "We could walk in." - -"This is just Gojmaf," grunted Gowru. "Mere journeymen. You want the -Guild of Master Mystics Mentalists and Fakirs--Gommaf." - -Rains sighed; he'd not been as fortunate as he'd thought in contacting -the sleeping director's mind. He'd not gotten the name of the teleport, -but the organization to which that person probably belonged. - -The Gommaf building was on another street and wasn't easily located, -but they found it. They sat at a sidewalk cafe and inspected it from -a distance. It was not a pretentious structure and there were neither -bars nor guards. - -The absence of visible security measures was disturbing. It suggested -several possibilities: that there was nothing of value inside, that -Gommaf had complete confidence in the ordinary police patrol, or that -they relied on other means of protection. The last seemed likely. - -It was a local organization and Rains had never heard of it. That was -not strange. There was much about India that had never reached the -Western world. There were records inside, the records of a teleport, -and he had to get to them. - -He couldn't just walk in; somewhere there was a master telepath on -duty. Rains had confidence in his own ability, but he saw no point in -overmatching himself. "What do you know about Gommaf?" he asked. - -His guide looked at the tea with less than delight. "It's fairly new," -he said slowly, searching his memory. "Organized about ten years -ago, I believe. There was competition at first. Some of the mystics, -mentalists and fakirs thought they were outside the orbit of ordinary -trade unionism. They formed a rival organization and tried to eliminate -Gommaf's chief organizer, a man called Handas Bvandeghat. They found -him one morning while he was practising yoga, and of course he refused -to interrupt his spiritual contemplation. They riddled him with machine -gun bullets." - -Rains nodded. "But they couldn't kill the idea. Handas Bvandeghat -became a martyr and the organization went on in spite of, or because -of, his death." It was a familiar story. - -"Who said he died? Handas Bvandeghat is president of Gommaf." - -"But they machine gunned him!" - -"Sure, they shot him. But he's a fakir, still makes a living letting -people drive spikes through his body. What's a few bullets to him?" -Gowru swallowed the tea and made a face. "Of course, there were some -physical consequences. Even today Bvandeghat has trouble keeping food -on his stomach." Gowru wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. -"Holes," he added. - - * * * * * - -It was not such a familiar story after all, but it did emphasize the -difficulties. An organization headed by such a character would be -tough. The telepath to spot intruders, which had previously been merely -a possibility, became a certainty. An approach to the front entrance -was inadvisable. - -But the comet was still hurtling through space and the only man who -could avert the collision was the teleport. Rains had to contact him. -He produced a map and consulted with his guide. After some discussion -they evolved a plan. - -"If we come through the rear it's your opinion the telepath won't -detect us?" Gowru murmured, obviously doubtful. - -"It's worth trying," said Rains, folding the map. "Behind the Gommaf -building is an electric fence and behind that is open country, mostly -swamp. Normally the swamp is considered impassable, but there is a -way through it. The telepath has to concentrate mentally just as you -do visually. He'll be expecting trouble from the front. I sneak in -from the rear, examine the records, and get out again before it occurs -to him that I've been there. After that I still have to contact the -teleport, but once I know who he is, that's easy." - -"Why not rent a copter and set it down in the middle of the swamp? It -will save a lot of walking." - -"It would, but it would also inform Gommaf that we're up to something. -No, we'll just have to walk." Rains stuffed the map into his pocket. -"Are there any shrines on the road to the city?" - -Gowru Chandit shrugged. "There are shrines anywhere in India except -straight up." - -Rains nodded with great satisfaction. There'd be one there too when the -hydrogen bomb exploded inside the comet. A bright flaring shrine to -astronomy. - -The road was paved but dusty. There were other tourists walking toward -the city so Egan Rains and Gowru were by no means conspicuous. At some -distance from the civic center they stopped at a wayside temple. They -entered and examined the strange but not notable architecture, the -intricate but not always esthetically pleasing carved walls. When they -were not observed they slipped through a side door and hurried to the -rear where they plunged into the light underbrush. In half an hour they -were at the edge of an open plain. No one followed them. - -After some discussion they decided to skirt the plain, and started out, -keeping well within the shadow of the trees which separated plain from -adjacent swampland. They circled back toward the civic center, toward -the narrow spot of firm ground that reached nearly to the electric -fence behind Gommaf. In the middle of the afternoon they rested and ate -some of the food they had brought with them. - -"Psst!" said Gowru, waving his great hand. - -Rains swallowed. "I don't hear anything." - -Again the Hindu flapped his hand for silence. After listening -intently, he crawled away into the underbrush. Presently he came back. -"Soldiers," he whispered. - -Rains was worried. Did that mean Gommaf knew what he was up to? And if -so, why did they send out soldiers? He could swear no one had tapped -his mind. "How many?" he asked in a low voice. - -"Thousands." - -Allowing for exaggeration, there were still too many. He picked up the -sandwiches, shoving one in his mouth and the rest into his pocket. -"Let's go," he said. - -"Where?" - -He pointed in the direction they'd been heading. - -Gowru shook his head. "They're coming from there too." - -That made it difficult. He looked questioningly at the swamp, but his -guide frowned. "Snakes," he said laconically. "Tigers, crocodiles." - -That left the plain, but out there they'd be spotted instantly, and -picked up soon after. He couldn't afford to be questioned by anyone. He -could hear the soldiers. They were getting closer. - - * * * * * - -The plain. They had to cross it and yet they couldn't. Unless--He -turned to Gowru. "A fog," he said triumphantly. "All we need is another -fog." - -His guide smiled with sorrowful dignity. "It takes whisky to make a -good fog. If you had listened to me you would have brought a supply -along. But alas, you are the reformer type, and because of that we are -now caught." His head sunk forward in defeat. - -His chin touched his chest and at that his head snapped back and it was -easy to see that he was not defeated. "Without whisky I can't make a -fog," he admitted. "Do you know how many molecules are involved in even -a medium-sized fog?" - -Rains didn't, but thought he ought to look impressed. - -"A surface now, even a relatively large surface, contains a -comprehensible number of molecules," said Gowru. "My mind isn't sharp -when I'm sober, but I can handle that many." - -"I don't see how--" But darkness interrupted his thoughts. "What is -that?" asked Rains. - -"I put a surface around us. It has the shape of a tank." - -It was surprisingly sensible. There were two groups of soldiers -approaching along the edge of the swamp, and they were in the middle. -It was logical to assume that one group of soldiers would consider the -so-called tank as belonging to the other. - -His eyes were adjusting to the changed light: he could see dimly -through the outline that surrounded them. A hundred yards away a -soldier appeared through the trees, saw the tank and stopped. Rains -didn't like the way he fingered the rifle. - -"Can you move this thing?" he asked nervously. - -"Why not?" - -"Good. Let's get away from here." - -It weighed little more than nothing--as insubstantial as air. It was -air, bound together on a molecular level by forces originating in the -Hindu's mind. It moved out on the plain as fast as they could walk. - -"Halt!" a voice rang out from the edge of the swamp. - -"Let them try to stop us," whispered Gowru cheerfully. - -Again the voice commanded, but Gowru paid no attention. A rifle shot -sounded behind them and a bullet whizzed uncomfortably close. "Maybe -we'd better stop," suggested Rains. - -"A Chandit never surrenders," said his guide stubbornly. Abruptly the -darkness around them deepened. Another rifle shot rang out. The bullet -struck the tank shape, and glanced away. - -Air did that, or more correctly, the psi forces of his guide's mind. He -had grossly underestimated the man. "How did you do that?" - -"Increased the thickness of the surface by a few molecules," said Gowru -cheerfully. "Handy, if you know how." - -It was handy, but there were also disadvantages. No light at all -entered and they couldn't see where they were going. - -Rains thought swiftly. Perhaps he could use the soldiers to guide -him. His mind reached out, and was bent backward. Ten inches of steel -couldn't stop his thoughts, but a few molecules of air did. The man had -limited ability, but was exceedingly powerful within those limitations. -He explained the difficulty to Gowru, who stopped and scratched his -head. - -"If I made a tiny hole--" - -"That's all I need," said Rains, and his mind was through it as it -formed. He skipped from thought to thought, lightly so as not to leave -an awareness of his mental presence. The two groups of soldiers had -joined and started after them, cautiously and at a safe distance. - -Unwittingly he and Gowru had stumbled into army maneuvers. And it -wasn't going to be easy to get out of them. Naturally, the soldiers -were curious. And the tank--He looked into the lieutenant's mind. - -He shivered. There weren't supposed to be tanks in this area. And Gowru -was not an army man; his idea of a tank was different from that of -Indian designers. He had created a fearsome image, the more frightening -because it didn't correspond to any known make, friendly or foreign. -This was something the Army was going to investigate, with everything -they had. - -He explained it briefly to his guide. - -"Hmmm," said Gowru. "Maybe I should change the shape to something -they're familiar with?" - -He'd thought of that. "It's too late. They'd know something mental was -involved and would call in Gommaf. Could you hold them off?" - - * * * * * - -Gowru shrugged. Rains thought he probably could, though he might not be -aware of it yet. But though they'd be safe from the mental onslaught of -Gommaf, there was a catch. Sooner or later they'd have to have food and -water, the screen would come down and then they'd be at the mercy of -the Indian mentalists. - -There had to be another way and he thought he saw it. "How long can you -keep this up?" - -"For days," sat Gowru. "Once it's in existence I merely have to touch -it now and then to keep it up." - -"Good. Make a small hole so you can see where you're going and start -out across the plain." It was late afternoon and would soon be dark.... - -"There's an army camp ahead," said Gowru. - -"National guard?" - -"Multi-national guard. This is India." - -Rains sighed. There was no use asking what was on either side and -behind them--more troops. Planes droned overhead. Mobile searchlights -were trained on them. Fortunately, there were no big guns in this area. -Perhaps Gowru could build up the image to withstand even the direct hit -of a large caliber shell, but the concussion wouldn't be pleasant. "If -there's an army camp there must be a trench," Rains said. "Do you see -any?" - -Gowru Chandit looked. "There's a trench." - -"Angle the tank so we'll pass directly over it." He paused. "Can you -project this image?" - -"Keep it in existence and control where it goes though we're no longer -inside? Yes, I can do that." - -"Fine. And can you make a hole in the bottom as the tank shape passes -over the trench?" - -"I can." - -"That's what I thought. My idea is that we drop into the trench and the -tank continues on. It goes into the forest beyond the camp and as soon -as all the troops have followed, you destroy the image." - -"Instantly?" - -"If you can." - -Gowru breathed gustily. "I can create it instantly, but the reverse is -not true. It has to fade away, and that takes time." - -Rains didn't want that, since it would reveal the nature of the tank. -"Is there any other way to dispose of it?" - -"I think so," said Gowru. "I can project it into the forest and let it -rise later with a trail of fire. I can imitate a rocket." - -A rocket tank would give them something to think about. "Excellent. But -remember to drop out of sight in the trench. The troops on foot will be -concerned with the tank. They won't notice us in the darkness." - -Gowru nodded and they went on. Presently he spoke. "Here we are." - -They dropped. The trench was deep and it was near a swamp. They fell -into half a foot of water. Overhead, the troops marched away. - -[Illustration: They fell into half a foot of water, while overhead, -troops were marching.] - -Gowru straightened and looked out. He climbed up and extended his hand, -pulling Rains to the top. - -As they stood there, a trail of fire rose over the forest, the tank -image bursting upward and disappearing. It was too soon. The troops -wouldn't find anything though they'd scour around. They'd have to -return. Rains was aching to empty his shoes of cold water. - -Together they started out, slinking through the deserted camp. They -hurried, but they didn't have much leeway. Soldiers began straggling -back. There was no time to look for a trail through the swamp, if there -was a trail. - -They crashed through a dense fringe of vines and fell into the swamp. -They had been wet, now they became drenched. Mud clung to them, -sticky, foul-smelling slime. Rains could imagine snakes and unspeakable -vermin crawling away from them or toward them as they crashed onward. -Branches slashed at them, mud sucked them down. Gasping, they -floundered away. - -Anyone could follow their trail. But no one was likely to associate -such bedraggled men with the phenomenon that had lately puzzled the -best minds of the Indian army.... - - * * * * * - -Rains was awakened by a rhythmical thud nearby. He jumped up and looked -around and then relaxed. It was Gowru pounding clothing on a flat rock -in a pool of brackish water. He had pulverized a native plant and added -it to the water, producing a reasonable imitation of soap. - -Rains wrinkled his nose in disgust. The stench still clung to his body -in spite of attempts to wash it off last night before falling asleep. -Silently, Gowru gave him some of the soap plant, and he found another -pool to bathe in. He emerged feeling much cleaner. - -The Hindu had spread the clothing to dry in the clearing. Rains lay -down and let the warm sun soak into his bones, pondering. They had no -food and couldn't expect to find much in the swamp. And after last -night there'd be soldiers around, combing the area, looking for an -explanation of the mysterious tank. Now he couldn't expect to enter -the Gommaf building undetected from the rear. They'd have to get back -to the road that led to the city and from there return to the hotel. -Afterwards, they'd have to plan anew. But for the moment, raw survival -was paramount. - -The clothing soon dried. Dressed, the Hindu looked presentable, but -that was because his garments were exceedingly simple. The Western -synthetic fabric didn't launder well. Sadly, Rains looked at his -reflection in the water. He was rumpled. - -They started in the direction they imagined the road lay, staying -within the cover at the edge of the swamp. On the plain there were -light tanks and armored vehicles, battalions of soldiers, planes -circling overhead. - -Weary and hungry they struggled for hours through the swamp. At last -the wilderness ended. They crouched in the underbrush where the trees -stopped and gazed at a building, the front of which faced the road they -sought. It was a queer structure, a small-scale skyscraper with chrome -plated carvings. - -If they could get to the building and then to the highway, they should -be safe. To get to the building was hardest. A few hundred yards away -platoons of soldiers wheeled in formation. They'd be spotted if they -tried to cross the open space. - -He sighed. The soldiers might go away, but he couldn't plan on it. -What would work--another tank on the plain? It would attract them, -all right, but it would also be a signal to mobilize the entire army -and put it on guard duty in this area. A sovereign nation didn't want -strange tanks inside its borders. - -He located the officer in charge of the drill. The sun was hot and -the soldiers were perspiring. The lieutenant was not a full-fledged -sadist, but he was studying to be one and didn't need much urging. The -cadence of command rose sharply. The men turned and began marching out -on the open plain. - -Rains jabbed Gowru and, crouching low, they began to run toward the -building. The distance was greater than he had estimated; he was hungry -and short of breath and his mind wandered. He couldn't concentrate and -his control of the officer slipped away. - -"About face!" screeched the lieutenant, and a half-hundred men were -staring at the fugitives. - -It was too late to reach the road, but in the building lay temporary -safety. Rains dived over the low wall and Gowru followed. He ran across -the garden and, reaching a window, tore it open and climbed inside, -pulling the Hindu up after him. - -As he turned to help, he stared in amazement at the soldiers. The -officer was blowing his whistle and shouting into the field radio, but -his men, who had darted after the fugitives, had stopped at the wall. -Gowru nodded and grinned. "Temple," he grunted. - - * * * * * - -Of course. With so many nationalities and divergent beliefs, the -government had granted immunity from search to those religions, sects -and cults that demanded it. The place was safer than he thought. He -grabbed the Hindu's arm. "Down," he said. - -Gowru grabbed his arm. "Up," he said. "We've got to see what they're -doing." It was logical. Rains reversed his direction. - -On his way up the dimly lit tower, Rains collided with someone. From -the quality of her robe and jewels and the paint on her face, he placed -her as a high priestess of some sort. She smirked at him and beckoned -mysteriously; then swayed down the hall, apparently expecting him to -follow. Strange behaviour in a temple sanctuary. He shook his head and -went on after Gowru. - -The Hindu had settled in a luxurious room at the top of the tower and -was looking out the window. The temple was surrounded. Not a soldier -had entered the grounds, but a solid cordon of armed men hemmed them -in. And dust in the distance down the road foretold of more to come. -The army wanted them for questioning. How they proposed to get them out -of the temple Rains didn't know, but the situation seemed as hopeless -as it could get. - -With an effort he made his mind slippery and broke contact. A master -mentalist was at work. He resisted the impulse to leave the temple and -surrender. Tentatively he let his thoughts reach out. No, this was -merely a journeyman--the masters were on their way. - -He turned in panic to Gowru, who was opening cabinets. Row after row of -expensive liquor glittered within. There was little resemblance to a -monk's bare cell; the place was more nearly a sybarite's palace. It was -a peculiar religion. - -Gowru tilted back his head and gurgled. "Want a fog?" he asked. "I've -got the raw materials." - -A fog wasn't satisfactory. They could elude the soldiers and slip away -in the confusion, but they couldn't hope to escape the mentalists. -On the other hand, yesterday the tank surface had repelled his own -thoughts. It should work. - -"Can you put an impenetrable surface around us?" - -"Won't work," said Gowru, wiping his lips. "It has to be a closed -surface, and if it's strong enough to stop anything it's also strong -enough to shear through any material in the way. Up here we'd topple to -the ground as soon as a gust of wind came along." - -That was an aspect of the shield he hadn't guessed at. He fought -frantically for control of his mind. "Then put it around the whole -temple, grounds and all. Exclude the soldiers." - -Gowru nodded. "I can do that. Within reasonable limits size doesn't -mean much, it's the principle that counts. I'll make it a big spherical -shield." - -Instantly the room became gray, as light from the outside diminished; -but most important, the mental tension lessened. Rains looked out. It -was difficult to see through the shield, but he could make out dim -shapes. The journeyman mentalist tried to get through. - -The shield was good, but a new force arrived; the masters were here and -added their mental force to that of the journeyman. Rains reeled under -the impact. "Make it more intense!" he shouted. "Give it all you've -got!" - -Gowru grabbed at another bottle and gave it everything. The grayness -became blackness and the intruding thoughts of the mentalists, masters -and journeyman, disappeared altogether. - -He relaxed. Temporarily, they were safe. He felt giddy and his stomach -squirmed around. There was no reason for this last effect--none that he -could think of.... - -Rains counted the bottles. It was not an accurate way to determine the -passage of time, but there was no electricity and none of the clocks -were running. He snapped on the flashlight. How many bottles equalled -one day? - -He was getting hungry. He'd managed to scrounge some food in the -darkness, aided by the flashlight, but it hadn't been enough. On his -forays his contacts with the other humans in the temple had been -disconcerting. Giggles in the distance and then squeals, but he'd never -been able to come upon the source. He didn't blame them for being so -wary; the darkness and isolation must seem like something supernatural. - - * * * * * - -Water was getting low too; only trickles came from the faucet. The -shield had severed all contact with the outside world, including -plumbing connections, and only a tank and a pressure system inside the -temple had kept them going this long. - -He'd have to risk a look, perhaps the vigilance outside had been -relaxed. He shook the guide. Gowru grunted and stretched out his hand. -Rains shoved a half empty bottle in it; he had to conserve. The supply -of liquor was getting low, at least in this room. "Can you put a hole -in the shield, a small one?" - -Gowru raised the bottle and later set it down. "Nope. Takes too much -thinking. How about a transparent area?" - -"That will do." - -Gowru staggered to the window, leaned on the sill and stared out. He -stared longer than Rains expected him to. "So that's what happened to -it," he muttered. He groped for a chair and sat down, shaking with -laughter. - -It couldn't be that funny, decided Rains, going to the window. He -peered out and it was dark. Gowru had neglected to clear an area to see -through. No, there were dots of light outside--it was night, that's all. - -That was not all. Very near, as astronomical distances go, and headed -toward them, was a comet. Not a comet, _the_ comet. - -Rains sat down before he grew dizzy. What was the comet doing so close, -unless they were out in space? He opened his eyes and looked again. -That's where they were. Unless he was mistaken, that was Mars over -there. - -He tried to fit the facts together. It made sense, but offered no hope. -He had proof that the shield was adjustable--stronger or weaker. As -it was made progressively stronger, it shut out light, bullets, and -thoughts. Could it be made strong enough to shut out gravity? - -He looked outside. It could. - -Gowru had exerted himself and the shield had sliced through earth, -water and sewer connections. Centrifugal force and the motion of the -solar system through space accounted for their present position. The -temple had whizzed away from the face of Earth before the astonished -eyes of the Indian Army. - -Gowru was still laughing. He clapped Rains heartily on the back. "So -that's where it went," he said. - -"Where what went?" asked Rains. They were doomed to be flung into outer -space and nothing could save them. - -"The Benares cremation barge. It floated to the comet." - -Float was hardly the word for the intricate process that had taken -place. Rains could see the comet, and he had known all along that the -barge was on it. - -"What do you know about the cremation barge?" he asked. - -Gowru fondled the bottle. "One day I was swimming in the Ganges and an -alligator--" - -"There are no alligators in India." - -Gowru Chandit gestured in defeat. "If you must know, I didn't have a -job and each night I swam out to the barge to sleep. I slept late one -morning and the crew found me and tossed me off. I had to swim in." - -"But you always swam in anyway." - -"Makes no difference," said Gowru. "So, when they left that night, -I projected a shield around the barge. Come to think of it, it was -probably like the one I've got around the temple. Anyway, in the -morning the barge had disappeared and no one, including me, knew where -it went--until now. The city had to buy another one to replace it." - -Rains looked at him dazedly. That's what he'd seen in the -psiscope--the barge--and it was for this reason he'd come to Benares. -But it wasn't a teleport that was responsible; it was his own guide, -Gowru Chandit. Gowru hadn't known because he hadn't told him. - - * * * * * - -There were other aspects. "After the shield is created it dies down?" - -"It does, unless I renew it." - -The barge had drifted away from Earth like the temple, and then the -shield had disintegrated in such a way as to leave the barge subject to -the gravitational field of the comet which had then captured it. - -"Can you alter the shield at will so that one side is affected by -gravity and the other not?" - -Gowru Chandit, dyeman extraordinary, saw what the question was aimed -at. He scratched his head. "Can I, by varying the strength of the -field, take us to Mars? I think I can." - -An astronomer's dream! While his colleagues were merely looking at it, -Rains would be on Mars! It would take cunning work by the Hindu, but -if Gowru said he could do it, Rains couldn't disbelieve. There was one -drawback though, and that reflected on his face. - -"There's no water and little air on Mars," said Rains. "We'll reach it, -but we'll die soon after." - -"Hmmm," said Gowru. Coming from anyone else it would not have been a -profound comment. He got unsteadily to his feet and paced around the -room, gathering bottles as he went. He squinted out the window. "The -very fabric of space," he muttered. He seemed to be looking at the -comet. - -He beckoned to Rains. "Come here." He had enough liquor inside and he -really didn't need what he held in his hands, except perhaps he liked -the feel of bottles. "Look," he said, and pointed. Rains looked. - -There was the comet, streaming away from the sun, headed in the -direction of Mars, though it would miss by several million miles. He'd -seen it before. - -But, somewhere in space it struck something. There was nothing there, -but it broke into tiny fragments and slanted toward Mars. There was no -doubt that Mars was going to capture most of the mass, and would soon -have an abundance of water and oxygen. - -But there was nothing for the comet to strike! Except--Except what? -"The very fabric of space," Gowru had muttered, and that proved merely -that he was a poor semanticist. The _structure_ of space. That's what -he worked with, not molecules, though he didn't know it. Gowru had -projected a space warp inclined chutelike toward Mars, and when the -comet came along it had collided with a plane surface anchored to the -entire universe. - -Water, air, and a new planet to explore, with Gowru Chandit as his -companion. But there was still one last defect. He groaned aloud. - -"Is there something else to complain about?" asked Gowru. - -Rains gestured savagely to indicate the whole temple. "I'm a man of -science," he said bitterly. "I resent being marooned with religious -fanatics." - -"Don't worry. They're women." - -That made it worse. Monks, or the Indian equivalent, he could ignore. -But could he do the same with grim and dour females intent on saving -his soul? - -Just the same, they were going to be on Mars with him and in -self-defence he'd have to learn their religion, the better to refute -it. "What are the fine points of their theology?" he asked. - -"Very old," muttered Gowru. "Priestesses are selected for temperamental -qualifications. Rites are ancient Hindu, maybe older than that." - -"Rites?" he queried. "Sacrifices?" - -"It's no sacrifice," yawned the other. "They're a local fertility cult." - -Rains' mind swung back to the priestess he had encountered on first -entering the temple, the only one he'd seen. The hall had been dimly -lighted, but she'd been young and very seductive. 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Wallace</p> -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -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 <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: Simple psiman</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: F.L. Wallace</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: November 1, 2022 [eBook #69280]</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</p> - <p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em; text-align:left'>Produced by: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net</p> -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SIMPLE PSIMAN ***</div> - -<div class="figcenter x-ebookmaker-drop"> - <img src="images/illusc.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="titlepage"> - -<h1>SIMPLE PSIMAN</h1> - -<h2>By F. L. WALLACE</h2> - -<p>[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from<br /> -Startling Stories Fall 1954.<br /> -Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that<br /> -the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]</p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>He slipped on the jacket and scanned around the corner of the hall -outside before he got to the door.</p> - -<p>"I psi," whispered the pin in his lapel.</p> - -<p>Egan Rains let go of the knob and felt for the emblem. It was -inconspicuous, smaller than his thumbnail, the disc of the moon against -a dark blue background. The markings delineated a face on the moon, and -two radiating antennae.</p> - -<p>Rains frowned and rolled it in his fingers. He thought he'd stripped -himself of unnecessary identification. No harm done since no one -in India had seen it on him, or heard it—yet. He looked at the -emblem regretfully, turned it over. The back was inscribed: American -Association of Psi Astronomers. It had sentimental value but he'd have -to get rid of it.</p> - -<p>He went to the disposer slot and dropped it into the wall. The insignia -came whizzing back and struck the opposite wall. Muttering that foreign -devices never worked the way they should, he dug it out. He examined -it cursorily and noticed a tiny nick in the surface. That was all. The -material was harder than the tough blades of the disposer. His respect -for the techniques which made the pin mounted.</p> - -<p>Someone walked by in the hall. Had the noise it made when it struck -been heard? He let his mind reach out delicately.</p> - -<p>"I pthi," grumbled the pin.</p> - -<p>Now it was lisping—and it was louder. The blow must have damaged the -speech crystals inside. Hurriedly he shut off his thoughts and the -insignia responded with silence.</p> - -<p>Primarily, it was a recognition device enabling people of the same -talent, psimen, to identify each other. It served a purpose in America -where there were so few, but in India, where mentalist activity was far -greater, it was a handicap. It would be gabbling all the time.</p> - -<p>Rains crumpled a sheet of paper around the little mechanism and tossed -it gently into the chute. The disposer ground noisily and, as he half -expected, the pin came hurtling back. He pried it out of the wall -again. This time it was slightly bent.</p> - -<p>"The disposer is for the convenience of guests. It's set to return all -jewelry accidentally dropped into it."</p> - -<p>Rains jumped and looked around wildly. He was certain there wasn't -anyone in the room, and he hadn't observed a service screen. He still -couldn't see either. But there was an eye staring at him from the wall.</p> - -<p>"Shortages," explained the eye somberly, noting his bewilderment. "Our -country doesn't yet produce all the material we need. Lacking full size -tubes, the management of the hotel ordered smaller ones. They serve the -purpose."</p> - -<p>Only slightly larger than life, the eye blinked at him. It filled the -entire screen. "If you must get rid of jewelry I suggest a pawnshop. -It's more economical."</p> - -<p>Rains glanced back with casual cageyness. How much had the other seen, -or overheard? Probably nothing. He'd have noticed the eye. "Sorry. I -was throwing an odd cuff link away."</p> - -<p>"It was odd," conceded the eye. "A little harder and it wouldn't have -come back." The eye blurred. "Can't have the disposer damaged, so we -draw the line. If it's as hard as a diamond it passes through."</p> - -<p>It was a convenient line and a profitable one, Rains noted absently as -he went closer to observe the inconspicuous screen. Was it so tiny -that it could have been on without his noticing?</p> - -<p>"People don't throw away diamonds the way they used to," the eye -complained.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Rains let him talk. This was something on which he had to reassure -himself. And there was only one way to do it. The fellow was in a -service department, somewhere in the distance. But Rains was certain he -could reach him.</p> - -<p>"I spy," said the pin, triggered by telepathy. "I spy."</p> - -<p>The second trip to the disposer had damaged the crystals grievously. It -had a vocabulary of two words and they never changed—but now they had. -An outsider would get the wrong impression if he heard the distorted -message. Rains clamped his fingers tighter on the emblem. But even that -relatively slight pressure forced the speech crystals closer. "I spy," -cried the pin. It seemed thunderous.</p> - -<p>It took prolonged mental effort for Rains to remember that what he had -to do was stop probing. The voice of the insignia was obligingly silent -when he disengaged his mind.</p> - -<p>The eye glared at him suspiciously. "You say something?"</p> - -<p>"Not a thing."</p> - -<p>"Didn't think so, unless you can talk without moving your lips." The -eye disappeared and was followed on the screen by an unidentified lump -of flesh, possibly a nose. Then the eye reappeared. Perhaps it was the -other eye. "May have been tourist kids outside my window playing your -favorite American game."</p> - -<p>Rains nodded in relief. The voice had seemed loud to him but not to -the other. His hands had smothered the reverberation. His nerves were -merely on edge. "They love baseball," he said politely.</p> - -<p>"Not baseball," said the eye. "I believe it had another name once, Hide -and Seek. Now it's called I Spy." The eye blinked rapidly. "Well, so -long."</p> - -<p>When he was alone, Rains thought swiftly. His brief mental contact with -the eye's mind convinced him he hadn't been observed in any suspicious -act. That went to the credit side.</p> - -<p>He felt the emblem. It was definitely not an asset. He thrust it -determinedly into his pocket. He couldn't endanger his chances of -finding the one man in India who meant so much to civilization and -astronomy.</p> - -<p>He rode down and went out of the hotel and onto the street. -Momentarily, he wished he could go back. But the pin drove him past the -long AFUA line.</p> - -<p>In 1976 India was contradictory. In the last few decades it had -achieved industrialization not much below Western standards. But it was -densely populated and living patterns were not always equal to those -of Europe and America. Rapid technical advances created new jobs and -wiped them out again over night. A highly trained craftsman in the -morning was often an unemployed vagabond by noon. Until he was taught -new skills and could be reabsorbed back into the labor force he was an -Applicant For Unofficial Aid. His dignity was such that he was never a -beggar. Anyway, begging was forbidden by law.</p> - -<p>Rains had no way of turning off his hearing. The best he could do was -to walk swiftly and try to ignore the pleas. A few left their position -in the AFUA line and trailed after him, but eventually they gave up and -returned to the hotel to await other tourists.</p> - -<p>It wasn't difficult for Rains to adopt the mannerisms of a sightseer. -This was the vast motherland from which European languages and -nations themselves had come in the remote past; complex, bewildering, -containing the old while striving for the new. Cows in the streets -imperiled jet cars and pedestrians. On the pinnacles of skyscrapers, -holy men lay down on beds of nails while television cameras carried the -picture to faithful followers in remote villages. Beside hydroponic -gardens, fakirs mystified the curious with the ancient rope trick.</p> - -<p>If his mission hadn't interfered, Rains would have liked to study -these mentalists for his own satisfaction. He was a psiman himself, a -powerful one, though of an elementary variety. He was a telepath, a man -of one talent with no other ability—a simple psiman.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The emblem weighed as heavily in his pocket as it did in his mind. So -far he hadn't found a quiet street on which to drop it. With so many -people thronging the city, every city in India, it wasn't going to -be easy. Nevertheless he wandered on, turning and twisting through -boulevards and alleys until he came to the ideal place.</p> - -<p>He slipped his hand in his pocket, jingling coins, and came out with -the little talisman. He angled toward the curb and let it fall from -his fingers. He relaxed mentally as soon as he was rid of it. Sweepers -would brush it up and though it might attract another telepath's -attention it couldn't be traced back to him.</p> - -<p>He swerved to miss a cow that ambled down the street and smiled -amiably. India was a romantic place, but it didn't conform to the -highest standards of civilization.</p> - -<p>A hand plucked at his elbow. "Pardon."</p> - -<p>Rains turned. He recognized one of the men from the AFUA line. He'd -been wrong; not all of them had become discouraged and gone back. Rains -appraised him quickly, a squat fellow, not very tall, but he made up in -width what he lacked in height. He wore a loin or ghandi cloth and a -remarkably ugly turban. It was the usual attire for this part of India. -His limbs, though not long, were of enormous muscular girth.</p> - -<p>"I don't give alms," said Rains, tearing his gaze from the -fascinatingly horrible turban. Passers by were staring at the man too.</p> - -<p>The native's eyes held the impervious look of the unemployed. "I didn't -ask, sir. You lost something." He held out his hand and the emblem was -in it.</p> - -<p>Rains snatched it in dismay. The native's face seemed innocent enough. -Hesitating for only an instant, Rains made a quick mental stab, -feigning a coughing spasm while he did so. "I psi, pthi, spy," bleated -the pin. He jangled coins loudly and coughed harder.</p> - -<p>Quickly he withdrew his mind. The Hindu didn't suspect a thing, though -his eyes widened at Rains' impromptu performance. It didn't matter; -he'd ascertained the other wasn't a telepath. Rains flipped a few coins -toward him, said thanks and walked away.</p> - -<p>He glanced back. The native was still trailing behind, evidently not -satisfied with the reward. As long as the fellow was behind him, Rains -didn't want to drop the emblem again. And he couldn't keep it.</p> - -<p>Another idea came up. From the hotel he'd seen a stream winding -through the city. It was yellow and muddy, an even better place for -the disposal of the tricky little item. He angled off until he saw the -river ahead, and noted that the native was still behind. He didn't want -to go through that again!</p> - -<p>His mind whirred smoothly as he stopped and bought gum. Chewing was -not to his taste, but surmounting his dislike he peeled back the -wrapper and thrust the stick in his mouth. He saved the wrapper and -folded it over the emblem. As he crossed the bridge he tossed it, foil -and all, into the river. Let it yammer away, sinking deeper in the mud -or encysted in a crocodile's belly. Now it couldn't betray him.</p> - -<p>But, in a way, it had. In his effort to get rid of the incriminating -article he'd overlooked other things. There was a mind laying heavily -against his. He struggled away, but for every retreat the intruder -advanced.</p> - -<p>It wasn't actually entering his thoughts. It stayed outside, gradually -surrounding him. When had the invasion begun? He couldn't say with -precision, but it couldn't have been long ago. It was a heavy mind, -penetrating, not too acute. But it was endowed with brute strength and -it was suggesting thoughts he didn't want to have.</p> - -<p>For instance, he felt an intense desire to seek a shady spot beside a -cool stream and lie down. Pleasantly textured grass would ease his skin -and flies would buzz harmoniously near, tickling sensuously as they -stung. Warm and moist. Fluid.</p> - -<p>Rains was sweating. He had to shake off this insidious attack.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>First, he had to locate the source. Not the AFUA beggar. He was near, -but Rains had already ascertained he wasn't a telepath. The street was -now crowded with men and beasts. That was the trouble; there was no -easy way to pick out his assailant.</p> - -<p>Which one? Rains glanced around. The white bearded ascetic next to him? -He was the holy hermit, telepathic type. But so were dozens of others, -most of them with luxuriant white beards. Rains probed, but got no -results.</p> - -<p>In America he'd fenced off combined telepathic assaults of the best -of his fellows. He'd expected more competition in India, but this was -beyond his expectation. The defense he'd prepared seemed weak for what -it had to ward off.</p> - -<p>An olive-skinned, dark-eyed girl went by with a gliding graceful walk. -With a little help from his imagination he could conjecture every -curve. It was sufficiently distracting. Me plus thee equals whee, he -thought swiftly. But this is hardly a Euclidean proposition, though I -would like our parallel paths to meet.</p> - -<p>Was he too hopeful, or did the surrounding thoughts retreat somewhat? -The girl turned and retraced her steps. Me plus thee equals three, her -reply came back firmly. What do you have in mind?</p> - -<p>She wasn't thinking along the right lines. There was a mental wedding -scene uncomfortably close. He went on, ignoring her opportunistic -suggestion.</p> - -<p>I should have known, she thought frozenly when he didn't respond. -You're looking for another kind of girl. She took herself out of the -picture.</p> - -<p>It was dangerous to spread his thoughts around. Something less personal -was in order. Nonsense was reputed to work. He searched and found some, -repeating it silently. I was thinking of a plan to dye my whiskers -green, and always wear so large a fan they never could be seen.</p> - -<p>An ascetic, there seemed to be hundreds around, walked by. I was -thinking of a plan—continued Rains, his effort intense—to dye my -whiskers green....</p> - -<p>The ascetic bellowed as a cow butted his side and began munching his -beard. A green beard! The Hindu squirmed and twisted loose, backing -away from the cow. The cow lollopped out her tongue and tucked a -whisp of beard into her mouth, chewing away as if on grass, which it -resembled. Purposefully she advanced.</p> - -<p>The old Hindu scrambled away, clutching the remains of his beard. It -was now green, but it had been white. Rains could swear he had been -looking at it during the instant of change. The cow lurched after the -old man. She broke into a trot and the trot stretched into a gallop -and the two of them disappeared down the street.</p> - -<p>All around there were men with green beards. It wasn't natural. They -stared at each other and then their eyes glided down. Muttering in -foreign tongues they stalked away. Rains could understand their -consternation. What had caused their beards to change? Did it have -anything to do with the rhyme?</p> - -<p>But there was something more important. The mind that had been trying -to invade his had gone away. He thought back. The mental influence had -vanished with the cow.</p> - -<p>An animal telepath? In India it wasn't totally unexpected. It was -the reason he was here. And the thoughts were those a cow would -have—internal evidence couldn't be ignored. It was frightening that -the cow was a stronger telepath than he, but it was also a source of -relief. At least the animal hadn't filched any secrets from him.</p> - -<p>He had another conclusion to allay his anxiety. The girl he'd mentally -whistled at had been able to intercept his thoughts. Learning that he -wasn't interested in what she wanted, she had politely if frigidly -withdrawn. Mental courtesy? Well, why not?</p> - -<p>Even in India there weren't many telepaths, say one in five or ten -thousand. But considering the density of population, that was a -lot. They had to evolve a code of mental conduct or life would be -intolerable. No one violated another's thoughts except for good reason. -If he watched himself, Rains thought, he'd have no cause for alarm. No -one would snatch his plans from his mind.</p> - -<p>Rains walked on, wondering who or what had changed the white beards -to green. A powerful mind at work, but not the cow; he was certain of -this. Nor the girl.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Rains fished discreetly about. Not the least hint. But the nonsense -rhyme had influenced someone, and that person was now lost to him.</p> - -<p>If he'd had the time, Rains would have liked to find and study the -unusual man who'd saved him with that green beard trick. An unorthodox -talent, limited but interesting. After the menace that hung far out -in space was ended, he would come back and search out his unseen -benefactor.</p> - -<p>Regretfully Rains cancelled these interesting thoughts, and looked -around for his indefatigable AFUA follower. The man was gone, -despairing at last of wheedling more alms. Or perhaps he'd been -frightened by the strange occurrence on the street.</p> - -<p>Rains wandered back to the hotel. Upon approaching it he stopped. The -AFUA line had grown longer, curling around the block, ending almost -where it began. It wouldn't help to go to the back entrance, because -the line was there too.</p> - -<p>Rains lowered his head and plunged on toward the front entrance. A hand -touched his elbow. "Guide?" inquired a voice. Someone asking for work, -not money, was unusual.</p> - -<p>The voice was faintly familiar. Rains swung around. It was the man -who'd handed back the emblem. For this Rains owed him nothing. And yet -he did. Because of this he'd been forced to find a better means of -disposing of it.</p> - -<p>He did need a guide, but he hadn't intended to hire one until he got to -Benares, far to the north, where he hoped his search would end. The man -he had to find was completely unknown, and Rains had only faint clues -to go on, so he'd have to rely on his telepathic power to uncover more -information.</p> - -<p>Rains beckoned and the man stepped out of the AFUA line, no recognition -in his eyes. "Let's see your license," Rains said. The man fumbled in -his turban and produced it.</p> - -<p>Rains read silently, "Experience one year." Too bad. His mission -couldn't be trusted to a beginner. "I'll think about it," he said, -handing back the card. "If you don't find anything else, be here -tomorrow. I may come out." Tomorrow he'd be on his way to Benares.</p> - -<p>The native folded the license into his turban and went back. He was -now at the very end of the line because he'd left his place to follow -Rains. He'd get little tossed to him today, and the coins Rains had -given him wouldn't buy much. Rains could sense despair.</p> - -<p>Rains beckoned him back. "Do you have any other skills that might be -useful?" he asked. "What did you do before you became a guide?"</p> - -<p>The eyes brightened, then faded in quick defeat. "Nothing you'd want," -he mumbled. "For ten years I was a dyeman."</p> - -<p>Rains thought back to the scene of the mental ambush. Beards. Green -beards. The dyeman had been near at the time.</p> - -<p>"Dyeman?" he repeated, trying to keep the excitement out of his voice. -Even if it actually had taken place as he thought, it was only a minor -talent. But there was always empathy between psipeople, even though -their abilities might be unrelated. He could expect closer cooperation -from this man than from any other guide he might hire.</p> - -<p>"I may be able to use you," he said. "Come in. We'll talk." He'd -discovered a new field for Rhine investigation. They'd mention it in -history books, after they described how he saved the world.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Gowru Chandit accepted the drink gratefully. Rains leaned back and -said, "Is this what you're trying to say? You first noticed your -ability when the dye didn't arrive at the textile factory. You had a -quota to meet. In panic you ran the cloth through anyway, and it came -out the color you wanted."</p> - -<p>Gowru nodded.</p> - -<p>"Can you tell me how you do it?"</p> - -<p>The Hindu looped his hand near his head and shrugged.</p> - -<p>Rains nodded. Any other answer would have been surprising. "What did -they say at the factory when you told them?"</p> - -<p>Gowru grinned slyly. "Alas, I'm a poor man. I didn't tell them."</p> - -<p>Rains could follow the man's thoughts as long as they were composed -in English. Alloted chemicals, Gowru smuggled everything out of the -plant that wasn't used and sold it to other firms. It should have been -profitable. "Why aren't you still with them?" Actually he knew the -answer. A new process had displaced the dyeman.</p> - -<p>"I soon became foreman of the entire plant. I alone had charge of all -coloring. I was wildly prosperous, what with one thing and another. It -was my downfall."</p> - -<p>"I don't understand." He did, but it was best to lead the man on, to -explore all possibilities.</p> - -<p>"I drank," said Gowru. "I had money for it and I drank too much."</p> - -<p>"And lost your ability?"</p> - -<p>"It was not so simple," said Gowru. "No, my ability became stronger -than ever." He meditated briefly. "Picture me, the master dyeman -who alone colors all the material that passes through the plant. So -skillful am I, so beautiful the colors that the poorest cloth becomes -transfigured and commands premium prices.</p> - -<p>"I arrive at work one morning and I am sick. I go into my secret mixing -room and lose my breakfast there. My head throbs. I raise it and look -at the chart. So much green, so much red and yellow, so much everything.</p> - -<p>"The chemicals are there and I put them into the suitcase which the -management graciously allows me to take in and out of the factory. The -pipes which fill the various vats flow through this room. As I have -always done, I concentrate on the wanted colors, associating them with -the proper vats. But my head hurts, you understand. Alternately, it -grows large and small in defiance of the laws of physics."</p> - -<p>Gowru Chandit paused to shake his head sorrowfully in remembrance of -that day. "I concentrate until all the vats are filled and then, as -usual, go to sleep. All day the automatic machinery hums. Yards pass -through the vats, bolt after bolt is dyed, dried and wound, and nobody -looks because this operation is automatic.</p> - -<p>"Then, the manager comes to inspect production and rub his hands at the -profits that will accrue to him. He unwinds a sample, looks at it and -screams." Gowru stared mournfully at Rains. "Retroactive to that scream -I am fired."</p> - -<p>"But why?"</p> - -<p>Gowru loosened a fold of his turban and spread it out so the pattern -was visible. "I was projecting. Did you ever see such a headache -reproduced in full color? Not merely a headache, but also a hangover."</p> - -<p>Rains moved the drink hastily away. He wanted to speak, but it might -be dangerous to open his mouth. The crisis passed. "Put it away!" -But Gowru had already refolded it so that the pattern was no longer -discernible. The cloth was an unpleasant souvenir.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Egan Rains was silent, studying the Hindu. The man was honest and -loyal, that much he could tell. But though he spoke English well, he -didn't think extensively in it and most of his thoughts were hidden in -a language Rains couldn't translate, mentally or otherwise. "Can you -teleport?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"A mind carrier?" said Gowru. "No, I'm only a dyeman. I can do nothing -else."</p> - -<p>He expected that; there weren't many who had multiple powers. "Do you -know anyone who can?"</p> - -<p>"I have a friend who plays ping pong with it."</p> - -<p>That was telekinetics, not teleportation, but it might be what he was -after. So far as the Rhine Institute knew, people with either ability -existed only in India. "How good is your friend?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"At ping pong, very good. At tennis, poor. The ball is too heavy; he -can't move it fast enough."</p> - -<p>Then that was a false lead. The person he wanted had to be much more -adept and powerful. Rains would have to look farther and Gowru would -have to help him. "Gowru, I'm an astronomer," he began.</p> - -<p>The Hindu raised his eyebrows to express interest. "I've always had a -soft spot in my head for astronomy," he declared.</p> - -<p>Evidently the idiom did change from country to country. "My colleagues -and I at Palomar have discovered a new comet," he went on. "It is a -strange comet, bigger than most, almost a tiny planet. The composition -is stranger still, mostly oxygen and water."</p> - -<p>Gowru nodded sagely. "And you want me to color the water. That I can -do, any hue you want. But if there is much air and you want me to color -that too, you will have to be satisfied with a light tint, a pale blue -or green or pink."</p> - -<p>"The color doesn't matter," said Rains gravely, and poured himself -another drink. "In seventeen years that comet is due to strike Earth."</p> - -<p>The Hindu bowed his head. "I've had a feeling of doom since you -mentioned the comet," he said simply.</p> - -<p>"Wrong," said Rains. "No doom. In seventeen years we'll have rockets -that can meet it out in space. We'll load hydrogen bombs into rockets -and blow the comet into fine crystals. But the orbit of the particles -will still intersect that of Earth, and it will fall as rain."</p> - -<p>Gowru searched his memory for a foreign concept. "Forty days and forty -nights?"</p> - -<p>"I don't know how long," said Rains wearily. "But whatever happens, the -water level of the oceans will rise—from fifty to three hundred feet -is the present estimate. After we study it longer we'll know exactly. -The land area will shrink, but that alone isn't disastrous. Forewarned, -not many lives would be lost. Most people will have time to move to -higher ground.</p> - -<p>"However, there's another aspect. Air is also present in the comet and -will be added to our atmosphere. The earth will grow warmer and the -higher latitudes will become habitable. Perhaps we'll gain almost as -much living space as we lose."</p> - -<p>"Then let's rejoice," said Gowru, reaching for the bottle. "It's not -every comet which is so considerate."</p> - -<p>Rains replenished his own glass. "It's not an occasion for rejoicing. -We've calculated that, with the additional atmosphere and moisture, -astronomy will become extinct. Cloud covered, the planet will be much -like Venus. No one will be able to see the stars." He didn't mention -that a few of the highest mountains would still rise above the clouds. -He didn't because those mountains were in India and that country would -then have a monopoly on the science.</p> - -<p>Gowru wrinkled his face in pleasure at the whisky and then assumed -a properly doleful expression. "I see. In seventeen years you'll be -unemployed." He added consolingly. "Maybe they'll give you a pension."</p> - -<p>Rains' vision was growing a little fuzzy, but his intellectual goals -had not changed. "It's not the pension," he said irritably. "I intend -to save astronomy."</p> - -<p>"It's not reasonable to be so obstinate when the heavens decree -otherwise," declared Gowru. "You should cultivate an interest in other -things. Girls are a nice hobby."</p> - -<p>Rains muttered something about girls and Gowru interrupted.</p> - -<p>"Good. We can start with girls and there's no telling where we'll end. -I'm a guide and I can help in such matters. How many do you want?"</p> - -<p>"I've only a normal—"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Again Gowru interrupted. "I was afraid of that—only a normal interest -in girls. You should moderate your desires. I can't help you with so -many." He shook his head sadly. "Let's get back to astronomy."</p> - -<p>"I expect to," said Rains coldly. "As I was saying, at Palomar we have -the giant telescope—"</p> - -<p>"The big inch," said Gowru fondly.</p> - -<p>"You're thinking of something else," said Rains. "In addition to the -big telescope we have a secret instrument not duplicated nor imagined -elsewhere—a psiscope." Thoughtfully he poured the remaining whisky -into his glass.</p> - -<p>"Don't ask me how it works. It's designed for use by people of psi -powers, of which I'm one. It's incredibly powerful and accurate. With -it we've learned things that other astronomers won't know for several -years. The data on the comet is one example."</p> - -<p>He raised the glass and let the liquid trickle down his throat. "We've -also learned things that astronomers with conventional instruments will -never find out—that there are teleports in India."</p> - -<p>Gowru struggled with himself, and decided to hoard the whisky in his -glass. He sipped delicately at it. "I could have told you that and I -don't have a psiscope. But how did you find out?"</p> - -<p>"Imagine the comet swinging nearer the sun. Under the terrific -radiation, the frozen ball of water melts and the atmosphere expands. -In our psiscope, clearly illuminated, is an object no one else can see -at that distance. It is a peculiar object, man made, and found only -in one place on Earth." He paused. "At present we don't have a rocket -capable of going to the moon. And yet this object was transported much -farther. Therefore, it had to be teleported there."</p> - -<p>"Logical," agreed Gowru. "What was this object?"</p> - -<p>"I can tell you the city from which it came; you'll have to know -anyway—Benares. But my colleagues and I have decided we can't tell -anyone what it was we saw on the comet."</p> - -<p>"Benares," mused the Hindu. "I know the city well. I was there last -year looking for work."</p> - -<p>"With your help," said Rains, "we intend to contact this teleport."</p> - -<p>"Who's we?"</p> - -<p>"My colleagues and I at Palomar."</p> - -<p>"And also your government?"</p> - -<p>"Our government doesn't enter into this. We couldn't convince them if -we tried since they don't believe in psi powers. No, this is solely -our problem. We're financed in part by the Rhine Institute and we have -other funds which were diverted for the purpose."</p> - -<p>Gowru sighed. No matter which way he tilted it, there wasn't another -drop in his glass. "What are you going to do with this teleport after -you find him?"</p> - -<p>"Persuade him to come to the United States. We'll get him out of India -some way." The country wouldn't take kindly to an attempt to smuggle -out one of their mentalists, but it could be done.</p> - -<p>"What good will that do?" questioned Gowru. "Even the most experienced -teleport can't change the path of the comet. It's too big to move."</p> - -<p>"He won't have to move it," said Rains. "We've positive proof that he -did transport a—uh—large object to the comet. He did it once and he -can do it again, except this time it will be a hydrogen bomb."</p> - -<p>"I thought so," said the Hindu disgustedly. "I don't want any part of -it. Where will you get that hydrogen bomb except from your government? -Let them develop their own teleports, or approach our country through -proper diplomatic channels."</p> - -<p>"You're not thinking," said Rains. "With a teleport working for us we -don't ask the army for a hydrogen bomb. One minute they have it safely -hidden, and the next instant it's inside the comet. Let the military -boys worry about how it got away and where it went.</p> - -<p>"You see, the comet's been captured by the sun and moves in a very -eccentric orbit just inside Jupiter. If we vaporize it now, it will -lose most of its mass to those two bodies. There'll be little left to -fall on Earth." He nodded approvingly to himself. The plan would be -effective, if he found the teleport.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Gowru's eyes expanded, enlarged by his own inner fires. "Let's drink to -it," he said, extending his glass.</p> - -<p>Rains sighed. As a secret agent he needed an analytically clear mind -at all times. But he also had to have someone who understood India -better than any American could, someone who would work with him -wholeheartedly. It wouldn't pay to offend such a person. He opened a -bottle, and later, still another....</p> - -<p>The train wound through the provinces and cities en route—Bangalore, -Jubbulpore, Jetadore, finally arriving at Benares. They could have gone -more conveniently by air, every sensible Indian did, but presumably it -was worth something to maintain the pose of tourist and guide.</p> - -<p>From the window of his hotel Rains could see the Ganges, a muddy, -sluggish river still, but an improvement over what it had been thirty -years before. More sanitary too; burial customs could not be completely -changed in a generation, but the three phoenix barges anchored off -shore automatically disposed of the bodies to the satisfaction of all -but the most fanatic.</p> - -<p>Southward were the spires of a rather shabby building he could -identify from photographs, the Rhine Institute of the Ganges. Its -value was dubious, of missionary rather than research caliber. In -the heart of the mentalist country, it had little prestige and not -much more patronage. It was questionable who spied most on the -other, the American staff or the supposed native converts. Each side -took precautions, but there were startlingly few devices which were -effective against an accomplished telepath.</p> - -<p>Still, mechanical devices partly reduced the advantages of the -Indians. Chewing gum parked in the right places often concealed -ingenious mechanisms, and even the birds which were regularly fed at -the Institute sometimes swallowed grain-sized instruments which were -carried impartially to all the public buildings of the city.</p> - -<p>This didn't concern Rains. The Rhine Institute of the Ganges could -solve its own problems or fail to do so. But somewhere in Benares there -was a teleport. Where?</p> - -<p>The regular reports—coded, scrambled, shielded, unshielded, -unscrambled, decoded—had mentioned great mentalist activity, but -hadn't been able to pin it down. Fakirs and holy men abounded; there -were at least a dozen telepaths in the city better than Rains, not to -mention clairvoyants.</p> - -<p>Communication from the Institute had always been erratic, -understandable in view of the hazards. Rains had not seen a report from -this branch in three months. Perhaps in the interim they had uncovered -more information. He would have to find out. "Gowru," he asked, "are -there many fogs in Benares?"</p> - -<p>The Hindu wrinkled his face in thought. "I've been here when there -were. Not now though; wrong time of the year."</p> - -<p>That was not good. Rains didn't want to expose himself, but he had to -get in touch with the director of the Institute.</p> - -<p>"If you want a fog, I'll get you one," said Gowru.</p> - -<p>Rains glanced up. The Hindu was a queer fellow. Rains had dismissed the -talk of coloring the comet's atmosphere as drunken boasting, but what -if it wasn't?</p> - -<p>"Can you actually create fog?" he asked doubtfully.</p> - -<p>"Sure. Want a sample?"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Perhaps he should, but too many fogs at this time would be suspicious. -He shook his head, "If you say you can deliver, I believe you. The only -question is, can you cover most of the city?"</p> - -<p>"The whole northern part of India," Gowru assured him.</p> - -<p>"That much won't be necessary. How long can you hold it?"</p> - -<p>"Depends on the wind," said his guide, extending his thumb and -forefinger and rubbing them together delicately. "Air's slippery stuff. -It fades. I'll have to concentrate."</p> - -<p>Rains sighed. He'd learned that when Gowru concentrated he had to be -diluted. He set out a bottle....</p> - -<p>Rains walked along the bank of the Ganges and glanced at his watch. An -hour to sunset. The fog was due at any moment. The Institute was a few -blocks away, but he had memorized a map of the area and would be able -to get there no matter what happened.</p> - -<p>He adjusted his tie in a mirror. No one behind him, but he didn't think -they'd be that crude about it here. He practised shutting off his -thoughts. His defense was adequate in America, but he wasn't sure how -effective it would be against a first rate Indian mentalist.</p> - -<p>He went into a curio shop and picked up a small bronze statue of a -four-armed god. He was about to pay for it when the woman behind the -counter shrieked. He glanced up at her. She was merely a few feet away, -but he could scarcely see her through the thick black smoke that curled -through the room.</p> - -<p>"Fire!" screamed the woman and ran out.</p> - -<p>He hurried to the door and then thought of the statue in his hands. It -wouldn't do to get involved in a petty theft charge. He ran back to the -counter and laid the money down. On second thought he left the statue -there too and stumbled out of the shop.</p> - -<p>The street was jammed. Storekeepers stood on the curb and shouted, and -out of the buildings thick smoke came pouring. Rains sniffed. It looked -like smoke but had no smell. He thought he knew what it was. This was -the fog Gowru had said he would create.</p> - -<p>It was a good fog but it was placed wrong—inside buildings instead of -filling the free air overhead. It had the opposite effect from what -he wanted. He had expected to approach the Institute through dim and -shrouded streets. As it was, he had to elbow people into the gutter in -order to move. Fire sirens wailed in a dozen directions and spotting -copters took to the air and started circling around.</p> - -<p>"Gowru!" he thought sharply, but either the distance was too great or -his thoughts were swallowed up by the multitude around him. Contact was -impossible.</p> - -<p>He'd have to do the best he could; confusion might cover him. A fire -truck skidded to a stop beside him and frantic firemen coupled the -hoses and went to work. Drenched and swearing Rains fought his way down -the street.</p> - -<p>As abruptly as it began, the smoke stopped. At least the drunken Gowru -had had enough sense to look out the window. Or maybe the sirens had -brought him around. Rains shuddered; he could almost see the contents -of the bottle diminishing as Gowru apprised himself of the mistake.</p> - -<p>He was a block or so from the Institute and the streets were still -crowded. Some people had re-entered the stores as soon as the -smoke-like stuff stopped pouring out. Others, more fearful, remained -outside.</p> - -<p>They didn't remain outside long. Overhead, in the sunset sky, -an ominous cloud formed. It descended rapidly upon the city. -Apprehensively, Rains watched the copters disappear into the dense -cloud, and then decided against worrying about them. Radar equipped, -they could trace their way through anything.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Shopkeepers gazed at the sky, shuddered, and hurried inside. They -closed windows and doors and bolted them. The reason escaped him until -he observed firemen clambering into trucks which roared away as fast as -they had come. They wore masks, all of them. It was gas they feared.</p> - -<p>The fool was compounding the mistake. A quiet, ordinary fog which -gathered inconspicuously in the hollows and low places and gradually -engulfed the city was what he wanted. This sort of thing was hardly -what he had specified.</p> - -<p>There was no help for it, and as long as he had the streets to himself -he might as well go ahead. Before he reached the Institute the fog fell -on him with an almost physical impact. Streetlights winked on briefly -and were snuffed out as the fog descended lower, still burning but not -discernible at street level.</p> - -<p>He shuffled slowly along, touching buildings. This kept him from -getting completely lost. There was no one following him physically, he -was sure of that. They could still keep track of him mentally and he -wouldn't be aware of it, but he doubted that anyone was interested in -him at a time like this. They'd be too concerned with the fog.</p> - -<p>The dyeman was good—too good.</p> - -<p>He stopped at a doorway, pressing his face close to the glass to read -the sign on it. It was the Institute, but he didn't intend to enter.</p> - -<p>He stepped back from the door and squeezed behind a statue. He was as -close to the director as he could expect to get without being observed -by the spies on the staff. Telepathically he located the director's -office and whispered, also telepathically. There was no reply.</p> - -<p>It took him a minute to determine why—the director was asleep. -It was better that way. The man wouldn't know he had come, taken -the information and left. He stirred around in the sleeping mind, -delicately so as not to awaken him. Then he had the information.</p> - -<p>Gommaf was the man he wanted. Rains grinned to himself. Gommaf was the -teleport, or knew who the teleport was—he couldn't be sure which. That -was all he needed.</p> - -<p>He wriggled out from behind the statue and walked quickly away. The fog -wasn't as intense as it had been, though it slowed him considerably. -Gowru must be getting tired. Streetlights were burning faintly overhead.</p> - -<p>The fog changed color as he went along, an indiscreet slip. There was -a slight brown tinge to it that wasn't altogether pleasant. He walked -faster and his stomach felt upset.</p> - -<p>Gowru was playing with the fog; that was the only interpretation Rains -could place on it. Colors shifted through the spectrum. He wished the -Hindu would stop it. A queasy, dirty violet didn't inspire confidence -in his own digestive system.</p> - -<p>In the midst of all that violet, a low-flying biliously pink cloud -came toward him. He turned his head and gulped, but it didn't help -appreciably. In the direction he now faced there was a vile green fog -shape. It looked something like an appendix, but it was much larger.</p> - -<p>He was wrong. Gowru Chandit was not playing—this was for keeps. A -valuable man, no doubt of it, but he drank too fast and couldn't -control his reactions.</p> - -<p>As he looked, the appendix shape writhed slowly and glowed. Other fog -forms began materializing convulsively around him, not all of them -bearing morphological resemblance to human organs, but not necessarily -of more pleasing appearance because of that. And the colors—Rains -closed his eyes but the damnable fluorescence seemed to penetrate.</p> - -<p>The river was nearby, for which he was thankful. He staggered to it, -lay down on the embankment, and retched feebly. The Ganges below -became less sanitary for a time. There were certain disadvantages to -psi powers, he reflected. This was the first time he had reacted to -another's nausea.</p> - -<p>Later, he made it back to his quarters.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The boat slid swiftly and smoothly past the cremation barges anchored -in the river. The design of the barges was distinctive, two long -cylindrical pontoons connected fore and aft by beams which curved above -the surface of the water. In the middle of each pontoon was a squat -affair resembling a searchlight, each of which was focused inward -toward the open space at the center of the barge. Upstream was a long -line of small wooden rafts. One at a time they were allowed to float -between the pontoons. The searchlights flashed and the beams crossed in -the center. The raft burst into flame, water boiled for an instant, and -the corpse was utterly consumed. The barge was ready for the next body.</p> - -<p>Rains glanced at the mechanism. No matter where he saw it, he'd always -be able to identify it. One of them was much newer than the others. -This was significant.</p> - -<p>Gowru was scowling, so Rains refrained from mentioning the barges. -There were many religions in India, now more than ever, and each had -its own burial customs. Some rituals were offensive to other sects and -he saw no need to antagonize his guide over such a trivial matter.</p> - -<p>They were both silent as the boat pulled up to the civic center pier. -Government offices and allied functions were situated together in an -annex outside the city proper; a sensible solution in a city as ancient -as Benares, but one which Rains did not particularly like. There were -just too many policemen and security officers around. He shrugged. That -was probably the least of his problems.</p> - -<p>They mingled with the crowd, sightseers and officeworkers, that -rushed off the ship. In a few minutes they were in the center of the -government city. Police everywhere, but Rains didn't let that bother -him. Presently they came to an impressive building and he stood on the -sidewalk and pretended to admire it.</p> - -<p>There were heavily barred windows and guards at the entrance. "Here it -is," he said softly. "We could walk in."</p> - -<p>"This is just Gojmaf," grunted Gowru. "Mere journeymen. You want the -Guild of Master Mystics Mentalists and Fakirs—Gommaf."</p> - -<p>Rains sighed; he'd not been as fortunate as he'd thought in contacting -the sleeping director's mind. He'd not gotten the name of the teleport, -but the organization to which that person probably belonged.</p> - -<p>The Gommaf building was on another street and wasn't easily located, -but they found it. They sat at a sidewalk cafe and inspected it from -a distance. It was not a pretentious structure and there were neither -bars nor guards.</p> - -<p>The absence of visible security measures was disturbing. It suggested -several possibilities: that there was nothing of value inside, that -Gommaf had complete confidence in the ordinary police patrol, or that -they relied on other means of protection. The last seemed likely.</p> - -<p>It was a local organization and Rains had never heard of it. That was -not strange. There was much about India that had never reached the -Western world. There were records inside, the records of a teleport, -and he had to get to them.</p> - -<p>He couldn't just walk in; somewhere there was a master telepath on -duty. Rains had confidence in his own ability, but he saw no point in -overmatching himself. "What do you know about Gommaf?" he asked.</p> - -<p>His guide looked at the tea with less than delight. "It's fairly new," -he said slowly, searching his memory. "Organized about ten years -ago, I believe. There was competition at first. Some of the mystics, -mentalists and fakirs thought they were outside the orbit of ordinary -trade unionism. They formed a rival organization and tried to eliminate -Gommaf's chief organizer, a man called Handas Bvandeghat. They found -him one morning while he was practising yoga, and of course he refused -to interrupt his spiritual contemplation. They riddled him with machine -gun bullets."</p> - -<p>Rains nodded. "But they couldn't kill the idea. Handas Bvandeghat -became a martyr and the organization went on in spite of, or because -of, his death." It was a familiar story.</p> - -<p>"Who said he died? Handas Bvandeghat is president of Gommaf."</p> - -<p>"But they machine gunned him!"</p> - -<p>"Sure, they shot him. But he's a fakir, still makes a living letting -people drive spikes through his body. What's a few bullets to him?" -Gowru swallowed the tea and made a face. "Of course, there were some -physical consequences. Even today Bvandeghat has trouble keeping food -on his stomach." Gowru wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. -"Holes," he added.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>It was not such a familiar story after all, but it did emphasize the -difficulties. An organization headed by such a character would be -tough. The telepath to spot intruders, which had previously been merely -a possibility, became a certainty. An approach to the front entrance -was inadvisable.</p> - -<p>But the comet was still hurtling through space and the only man who -could avert the collision was the teleport. Rains had to contact him. -He produced a map and consulted with his guide. After some discussion -they evolved a plan.</p> - -<p>"If we come through the rear it's your opinion the telepath won't -detect us?" Gowru murmured, obviously doubtful.</p> - -<p>"It's worth trying," said Rains, folding the map. "Behind the Gommaf -building is an electric fence and behind that is open country, mostly -swamp. Normally the swamp is considered impassable, but there is a -way through it. The telepath has to concentrate mentally just as you -do visually. He'll be expecting trouble from the front. I sneak in -from the rear, examine the records, and get out again before it occurs -to him that I've been there. After that I still have to contact the -teleport, but once I know who he is, that's easy."</p> - -<p>"Why not rent a copter and set it down in the middle of the swamp? It -will save a lot of walking."</p> - -<p>"It would, but it would also inform Gommaf that we're up to something. -No, we'll just have to walk." Rains stuffed the map into his pocket. -"Are there any shrines on the road to the city?"</p> - -<p>Gowru Chandit shrugged. "There are shrines anywhere in India except -straight up."</p> - -<p>Rains nodded with great satisfaction. There'd be one there too when the -hydrogen bomb exploded inside the comet. A bright flaring shrine to -astronomy.</p> - -<p>The road was paved but dusty. There were other tourists walking toward -the city so Egan Rains and Gowru were by no means conspicuous. At some -distance from the civic center they stopped at a wayside temple. They -entered and examined the strange but not notable architecture, the -intricate but not always esthetically pleasing carved walls. When they -were not observed they slipped through a side door and hurried to the -rear where they plunged into the light underbrush. In half an hour they -were at the edge of an open plain. No one followed them.</p> - -<p>After some discussion they decided to skirt the plain, and started out, -keeping well within the shadow of the trees which separated plain from -adjacent swampland. They circled back toward the civic center, toward -the narrow spot of firm ground that reached nearly to the electric -fence behind Gommaf. In the middle of the afternoon they rested and ate -some of the food they had brought with them.</p> - -<p>"Psst!" said Gowru, waving his great hand.</p> - -<p>Rains swallowed. "I don't hear anything."</p> - -<p>Again the Hindu flapped his hand for silence. After listening -intently, he crawled away into the underbrush. Presently he came back. -"Soldiers," he whispered.</p> - -<p>Rains was worried. Did that mean Gommaf knew what he was up to? And if -so, why did they send out soldiers? He could swear no one had tapped -his mind. "How many?" he asked in a low voice.</p> - -<p>"Thousands."</p> - -<p>Allowing for exaggeration, there were still too many. He picked up the -sandwiches, shoving one in his mouth and the rest into his pocket. -"Let's go," he said.</p> - -<p>"Where?"</p> - -<p>He pointed in the direction they'd been heading.</p> - -<p>Gowru shook his head. "They're coming from there too."</p> - -<p>That made it difficult. He looked questioningly at the swamp, but his -guide frowned. "Snakes," he said laconically. "Tigers, crocodiles."</p> - -<p>That left the plain, but out there they'd be spotted instantly, and -picked up soon after. He couldn't afford to be questioned by anyone. He -could hear the soldiers. They were getting closer.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The plain. They had to cross it and yet they couldn't. Unless—He -turned to Gowru. "A fog," he said triumphantly. "All we need is another -fog."</p> - -<p>His guide smiled with sorrowful dignity. "It takes whisky to make a -good fog. If you had listened to me you would have brought a supply -along. But alas, you are the reformer type, and because of that we are -now caught." His head sunk forward in defeat.</p> - -<p>His chin touched his chest and at that his head snapped back and it was -easy to see that he was not defeated. "Without whisky I can't make a -fog," he admitted. "Do you know how many molecules are involved in even -a medium-sized fog?"</p> - -<p>Rains didn't, but thought he ought to look impressed.</p> - -<p>"A surface now, even a relatively large surface, contains a -comprehensible number of molecules," said Gowru. "My mind isn't sharp -when I'm sober, but I can handle that many."</p> - -<p>"I don't see how—" But darkness interrupted his thoughts. "What is -that?" asked Rains.</p> - -<p>"I put a surface around us. It has the shape of a tank."</p> - -<p>It was surprisingly sensible. There were two groups of soldiers -approaching along the edge of the swamp, and they were in the middle. -It was logical to assume that one group of soldiers would consider the -so-called tank as belonging to the other.</p> - -<p>His eyes were adjusting to the changed light: he could see dimly -through the outline that surrounded them. A hundred yards away a -soldier appeared through the trees, saw the tank and stopped. Rains -didn't like the way he fingered the rifle.</p> - -<p>"Can you move this thing?" he asked nervously.</p> - -<p>"Why not?"</p> - -<p>"Good. Let's get away from here."</p> - -<p>It weighed little more than nothing—as insubstantial as air. It was -air, bound together on a molecular level by forces originating in the -Hindu's mind. It moved out on the plain as fast as they could walk.</p> - -<p>"Halt!" a voice rang out from the edge of the swamp.</p> - -<p>"Let them try to stop us," whispered Gowru cheerfully.</p> - -<p>Again the voice commanded, but Gowru paid no attention. A rifle shot -sounded behind them and a bullet whizzed uncomfortably close. "Maybe -we'd better stop," suggested Rains.</p> - -<p>"A Chandit never surrenders," said his guide stubbornly. Abruptly the -darkness around them deepened. Another rifle shot rang out. The bullet -struck the tank shape, and glanced away.</p> - -<p>Air did that, or more correctly, the psi forces of his guide's mind. He -had grossly underestimated the man. "How did you do that?"</p> - -<p>"Increased the thickness of the surface by a few molecules," said Gowru -cheerfully. "Handy, if you know how."</p> - -<p>It was handy, but there were also disadvantages. No light at all -entered and they couldn't see where they were going.</p> - -<p>Rains thought swiftly. Perhaps he could use the soldiers to guide -him. His mind reached out, and was bent backward. Ten inches of steel -couldn't stop his thoughts, but a few molecules of air did. The man had -limited ability, but was exceedingly powerful within those limitations. -He explained the difficulty to Gowru, who stopped and scratched his -head.</p> - -<p>"If I made a tiny hole—"</p> - -<p>"That's all I need," said Rains, and his mind was through it as it -formed. He skipped from thought to thought, lightly so as not to leave -an awareness of his mental presence. The two groups of soldiers had -joined and started after them, cautiously and at a safe distance.</p> - -<p>Unwittingly he and Gowru had stumbled into army maneuvers. And it -wasn't going to be easy to get out of them. Naturally, the soldiers -were curious. And the tank—He looked into the lieutenant's mind.</p> - -<p>He shivered. There weren't supposed to be tanks in this area. And Gowru -was not an army man; his idea of a tank was different from that of -Indian designers. He had created a fearsome image, the more frightening -because it didn't correspond to any known make, friendly or foreign. -This was something the Army was going to investigate, with everything -they had.</p> - -<p>He explained it briefly to his guide.</p> - -<p>"Hmmm," said Gowru. "Maybe I should change the shape to something -they're familiar with?"</p> - -<p>He'd thought of that. "It's too late. They'd know something mental was -involved and would call in Gommaf. Could you hold them off?"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Gowru shrugged. Rains thought he probably could, though he might not be -aware of it yet. But though they'd be safe from the mental onslaught of -Gommaf, there was a catch. Sooner or later they'd have to have food and -water, the screen would come down and then they'd be at the mercy of -the Indian mentalists.</p> - -<p>There had to be another way and he thought he saw it. "How long can you -keep this up?"</p> - -<p>"For days," sat Gowru. "Once it's in existence I merely have to touch -it now and then to keep it up."</p> - -<p>"Good. Make a small hole so you can see where you're going and start -out across the plain." It was late afternoon and would soon be dark....</p> - -<p>"There's an army camp ahead," said Gowru.</p> - -<p>"National guard?"</p> - -<p>"Multi-national guard. This is India."</p> - -<p>Rains sighed. There was no use asking what was on either side and -behind them—more troops. Planes droned overhead. Mobile searchlights -were trained on them. Fortunately, there were no big guns in this area. -Perhaps Gowru could build up the image to withstand even the direct hit -of a large caliber shell, but the concussion wouldn't be pleasant. "If -there's an army camp there must be a trench," Rains said. "Do you see -any?"</p> - -<p>Gowru Chandit looked. "There's a trench."</p> - -<p>"Angle the tank so we'll pass directly over it." He paused. "Can you -project this image?"</p> - -<p>"Keep it in existence and control where it goes though we're no longer -inside? Yes, I can do that."</p> - -<p>"Fine. And can you make a hole in the bottom as the tank shape passes -over the trench?"</p> - -<p>"I can."</p> - -<p>"That's what I thought. My idea is that we drop into the trench and the -tank continues on. It goes into the forest beyond the camp and as soon -as all the troops have followed, you destroy the image."</p> - -<p>"Instantly?"</p> - -<p>"If you can."</p> - -<p>Gowru breathed gustily. "I can create it instantly, but the reverse is -not true. It has to fade away, and that takes time."</p> - -<p>Rains didn't want that, since it would reveal the nature of the tank. -"Is there any other way to dispose of it?"</p> - -<p>"I think so," said Gowru. "I can project it into the forest and let it -rise later with a trail of fire. I can imitate a rocket."</p> - -<p>A rocket tank would give them something to think about. "Excellent. But -remember to drop out of sight in the trench. The troops on foot will be -concerned with the tank. They won't notice us in the darkness."</p> - -<p>Gowru nodded and they went on. Presently he spoke. "Here we are."</p> - -<p>They dropped. The trench was deep and it was near a swamp. They fell -into half a foot of water. Overhead, the troops marched away.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus.jpg" alt=""/> - <div class="caption"> - <p>They fell into half a foot of water, while overhead, troops were marching.</p> - </div> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Gowru straightened and looked out. He climbed up and extended his hand, -pulling Rains to the top.</p> - -<p>As they stood there, a trail of fire rose over the forest, the tank -image bursting upward and disappearing. It was too soon. The troops -wouldn't find anything though they'd scour around. They'd have to -return. Rains was aching to empty his shoes of cold water.</p> - -<p>Together they started out, slinking through the deserted camp. They -hurried, but they didn't have much leeway. Soldiers began straggling -back. There was no time to look for a trail through the swamp, if there -was a trail.</p> - -<p>They crashed through a dense fringe of vines and fell into the swamp. -They had been wet, now they became drenched. Mud clung to them, -sticky, foul-smelling slime. Rains could imagine snakes and unspeakable -vermin crawling away from them or toward them as they crashed onward. -Branches slashed at them, mud sucked them down. Gasping, they -floundered away.</p> - -<p>Anyone could follow their trail. But no one was likely to associate -such bedraggled men with the phenomenon that had lately puzzled the -best minds of the Indian army....</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Rains was awakened by a rhythmical thud nearby. He jumped up and looked -around and then relaxed. It was Gowru pounding clothing on a flat rock -in a pool of brackish water. He had pulverized a native plant and added -it to the water, producing a reasonable imitation of soap.</p> - -<p>Rains wrinkled his nose in disgust. The stench still clung to his body -in spite of attempts to wash it off last night before falling asleep. -Silently, Gowru gave him some of the soap plant, and he found another -pool to bathe in. He emerged feeling much cleaner.</p> - -<p>The Hindu had spread the clothing to dry in the clearing. Rains lay -down and let the warm sun soak into his bones, pondering. They had no -food and couldn't expect to find much in the swamp. And after last -night there'd be soldiers around, combing the area, looking for an -explanation of the mysterious tank. Now he couldn't expect to enter -the Gommaf building undetected from the rear. They'd have to get back -to the road that led to the city and from there return to the hotel. -Afterwards, they'd have to plan anew. But for the moment, raw survival -was paramount.</p> - -<p>The clothing soon dried. Dressed, the Hindu looked presentable, but -that was because his garments were exceedingly simple. The Western -synthetic fabric didn't launder well. Sadly, Rains looked at his -reflection in the water. He was rumpled.</p> - -<p>They started in the direction they imagined the road lay, staying -within the cover at the edge of the swamp. On the plain there were -light tanks and armored vehicles, battalions of soldiers, planes -circling overhead.</p> - -<p>Weary and hungry they struggled for hours through the swamp. At last -the wilderness ended. They crouched in the underbrush where the trees -stopped and gazed at a building, the front of which faced the road they -sought. It was a queer structure, a small-scale skyscraper with chrome -plated carvings.</p> - -<p>If they could get to the building and then to the highway, they should -be safe. To get to the building was hardest. A few hundred yards away -platoons of soldiers wheeled in formation. They'd be spotted if they -tried to cross the open space.</p> - -<p>He sighed. The soldiers might go away, but he couldn't plan on it. -What would work—another tank on the plain? It would attract them, -all right, but it would also be a signal to mobilize the entire army -and put it on guard duty in this area. A sovereign nation didn't want -strange tanks inside its borders.</p> - -<p>He located the officer in charge of the drill. The sun was hot and -the soldiers were perspiring. The lieutenant was not a full-fledged -sadist, but he was studying to be one and didn't need much urging. The -cadence of command rose sharply. The men turned and began marching out -on the open plain.</p> - -<p>Rains jabbed Gowru and, crouching low, they began to run toward the -building. The distance was greater than he had estimated; he was hungry -and short of breath and his mind wandered. He couldn't concentrate and -his control of the officer slipped away.</p> - -<p>"About face!" screeched the lieutenant, and a half-hundred men were -staring at the fugitives.</p> - -<p>It was too late to reach the road, but in the building lay temporary -safety. Rains dived over the low wall and Gowru followed. He ran across -the garden and, reaching a window, tore it open and climbed inside, -pulling the Hindu up after him.</p> - -<p>As he turned to help, he stared in amazement at the soldiers. The -officer was blowing his whistle and shouting into the field radio, but -his men, who had darted after the fugitives, had stopped at the wall. -Gowru nodded and grinned. "Temple," he grunted.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Of course. With so many nationalities and divergent beliefs, the -government had granted immunity from search to those religions, sects -and cults that demanded it. The place was safer than he thought. He -grabbed the Hindu's arm. "Down," he said.</p> - -<p>Gowru grabbed his arm. "Up," he said. "We've got to see what they're -doing." It was logical. Rains reversed his direction.</p> - -<p>On his way up the dimly lit tower, Rains collided with someone. From -the quality of her robe and jewels and the paint on her face, he placed -her as a high priestess of some sort. She smirked at him and beckoned -mysteriously; then swayed down the hall, apparently expecting him to -follow. Strange behaviour in a temple sanctuary. He shook his head and -went on after Gowru.</p> - -<p>The Hindu had settled in a luxurious room at the top of the tower and -was looking out the window. The temple was surrounded. Not a soldier -had entered the grounds, but a solid cordon of armed men hemmed them -in. And dust in the distance down the road foretold of more to come. -The army wanted them for questioning. How they proposed to get them out -of the temple Rains didn't know, but the situation seemed as hopeless -as it could get.</p> - -<p>With an effort he made his mind slippery and broke contact. A master -mentalist was at work. He resisted the impulse to leave the temple and -surrender. Tentatively he let his thoughts reach out. No, this was -merely a journeyman—the masters were on their way.</p> - -<p>He turned in panic to Gowru, who was opening cabinets. Row after row of -expensive liquor glittered within. There was little resemblance to a -monk's bare cell; the place was more nearly a sybarite's palace. It was -a peculiar religion.</p> - -<p>Gowru tilted back his head and gurgled. "Want a fog?" he asked. "I've -got the raw materials."</p> - -<p>A fog wasn't satisfactory. They could elude the soldiers and slip away -in the confusion, but they couldn't hope to escape the mentalists. -On the other hand, yesterday the tank surface had repelled his own -thoughts. It should work.</p> - -<p>"Can you put an impenetrable surface around us?"</p> - -<p>"Won't work," said Gowru, wiping his lips. "It has to be a closed -surface, and if it's strong enough to stop anything it's also strong -enough to shear through any material in the way. Up here we'd topple to -the ground as soon as a gust of wind came along."</p> - -<p>That was an aspect of the shield he hadn't guessed at. He fought -frantically for control of his mind. "Then put it around the whole -temple, grounds and all. Exclude the soldiers."</p> - -<p>Gowru nodded. "I can do that. Within reasonable limits size doesn't -mean much, it's the principle that counts. I'll make it a big spherical -shield."</p> - -<p>Instantly the room became gray, as light from the outside diminished; -but most important, the mental tension lessened. Rains looked out. It -was difficult to see through the shield, but he could make out dim -shapes. The journeyman mentalist tried to get through.</p> - -<p>The shield was good, but a new force arrived; the masters were here and -added their mental force to that of the journeyman. Rains reeled under -the impact. "Make it more intense!" he shouted. "Give it all you've -got!"</p> - -<p>Gowru grabbed at another bottle and gave it everything. The grayness -became blackness and the intruding thoughts of the mentalists, masters -and journeyman, disappeared altogether.</p> - -<p>He relaxed. Temporarily, they were safe. He felt giddy and his stomach -squirmed around. There was no reason for this last effect—none that he -could think of....</p> - -<p>Rains counted the bottles. It was not an accurate way to determine the -passage of time, but there was no electricity and none of the clocks -were running. He snapped on the flashlight. How many bottles equalled -one day?</p> - -<p>He was getting hungry. He'd managed to scrounge some food in the -darkness, aided by the flashlight, but it hadn't been enough. On his -forays his contacts with the other humans in the temple had been -disconcerting. Giggles in the distance and then squeals, but he'd never -been able to come upon the source. He didn't blame them for being so -wary; the darkness and isolation must seem like something supernatural.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Water was getting low too; only trickles came from the faucet. The -shield had severed all contact with the outside world, including -plumbing connections, and only a tank and a pressure system inside the -temple had kept them going this long.</p> - -<p>He'd have to risk a look, perhaps the vigilance outside had been -relaxed. He shook the guide. Gowru grunted and stretched out his hand. -Rains shoved a half empty bottle in it; he had to conserve. The supply -of liquor was getting low, at least in this room. "Can you put a hole -in the shield, a small one?"</p> - -<p>Gowru raised the bottle and later set it down. "Nope. Takes too much -thinking. How about a transparent area?"</p> - -<p>"That will do."</p> - -<p>Gowru staggered to the window, leaned on the sill and stared out. He -stared longer than Rains expected him to. "So that's what happened to -it," he muttered. He groped for a chair and sat down, shaking with -laughter.</p> - -<p>It couldn't be that funny, decided Rains, going to the window. He -peered out and it was dark. Gowru had neglected to clear an area to see -through. No, there were dots of light outside—it was night, that's all.</p> - -<p>That was not all. Very near, as astronomical distances go, and headed -toward them, was a comet. Not a comet, <i>the</i> comet.</p> - -<p>Rains sat down before he grew dizzy. What was the comet doing so close, -unless they were out in space? He opened his eyes and looked again. -That's where they were. Unless he was mistaken, that was Mars over -there.</p> - -<p>He tried to fit the facts together. It made sense, but offered no hope. -He had proof that the shield was adjustable—stronger or weaker. As -it was made progressively stronger, it shut out light, bullets, and -thoughts. Could it be made strong enough to shut out gravity?</p> - -<p>He looked outside. It could.</p> - -<p>Gowru had exerted himself and the shield had sliced through earth, -water and sewer connections. Centrifugal force and the motion of the -solar system through space accounted for their present position. The -temple had whizzed away from the face of Earth before the astonished -eyes of the Indian Army.</p> - -<p>Gowru was still laughing. He clapped Rains heartily on the back. "So -that's where it went," he said.</p> - -<p>"Where what went?" asked Rains. They were doomed to be flung into outer -space and nothing could save them.</p> - -<p>"The Benares cremation barge. It floated to the comet."</p> - -<p>Float was hardly the word for the intricate process that had taken -place. Rains could see the comet, and he had known all along that the -barge was on it.</p> - -<p>"What do you know about the cremation barge?" he asked.</p> - -<p>Gowru fondled the bottle. "One day I was swimming in the Ganges and an -alligator—"</p> - -<p>"There are no alligators in India."</p> - -<p>Gowru Chandit gestured in defeat. "If you must know, I didn't have a -job and each night I swam out to the barge to sleep. I slept late one -morning and the crew found me and tossed me off. I had to swim in."</p> - -<p>"But you always swam in anyway."</p> - -<p>"Makes no difference," said Gowru. "So, when they left that night, -I projected a shield around the barge. Come to think of it, it was -probably like the one I've got around the temple. Anyway, in the -morning the barge had disappeared and no one, including me, knew where -it went—until now. The city had to buy another one to replace it."</p> - -<p>Rains looked at him dazedly. That's what he'd seen in the -psiscope—the barge—and it was for this reason he'd come to Benares. -But it wasn't a teleport that was responsible; it was his own guide, -Gowru Chandit. Gowru hadn't known because he hadn't told him.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>There were other aspects. "After the shield is created it dies down?"</p> - -<p>"It does, unless I renew it."</p> - -<p>The barge had drifted away from Earth like the temple, and then the -shield had disintegrated in such a way as to leave the barge subject to -the gravitational field of the comet which had then captured it.</p> - -<p>"Can you alter the shield at will so that one side is affected by -gravity and the other not?"</p> - -<p>Gowru Chandit, dyeman extraordinary, saw what the question was aimed -at. He scratched his head. "Can I, by varying the strength of the -field, take us to Mars? I think I can."</p> - -<p>An astronomer's dream! While his colleagues were merely looking at it, -Rains would be on Mars! It would take cunning work by the Hindu, but -if Gowru said he could do it, Rains couldn't disbelieve. There was one -drawback though, and that reflected on his face.</p> - -<p>"There's no water and little air on Mars," said Rains. "We'll reach it, -but we'll die soon after."</p> - -<p>"Hmmm," said Gowru. Coming from anyone else it would not have been a -profound comment. He got unsteadily to his feet and paced around the -room, gathering bottles as he went. He squinted out the window. "The -very fabric of space," he muttered. He seemed to be looking at the -comet.</p> - -<p>He beckoned to Rains. "Come here." He had enough liquor inside and he -really didn't need what he held in his hands, except perhaps he liked -the feel of bottles. "Look," he said, and pointed. Rains looked.</p> - -<p>There was the comet, streaming away from the sun, headed in the -direction of Mars, though it would miss by several million miles. He'd -seen it before.</p> - -<p>But, somewhere in space it struck something. There was nothing there, -but it broke into tiny fragments and slanted toward Mars. There was no -doubt that Mars was going to capture most of the mass, and would soon -have an abundance of water and oxygen.</p> - -<p>But there was nothing for the comet to strike! Except—Except what? -"The very fabric of space," Gowru had muttered, and that proved merely -that he was a poor semanticist. The <i>structure</i> of space. That's what -he worked with, not molecules, though he didn't know it. Gowru had -projected a space warp inclined chutelike toward Mars, and when the -comet came along it had collided with a plane surface anchored to the -entire universe.</p> - -<p>Water, air, and a new planet to explore, with Gowru Chandit as his -companion. But there was still one last defect. He groaned aloud.</p> - -<p>"Is there something else to complain about?" asked Gowru.</p> - -<p>Rains gestured savagely to indicate the whole temple. "I'm a man of -science," he said bitterly. "I resent being marooned with religious -fanatics."</p> - -<p>"Don't worry. They're women."</p> - -<p>That made it worse. Monks, or the Indian equivalent, he could ignore. -But could he do the same with grim and dour females intent on saving -his soul?</p> - -<p>Just the same, they were going to be on Mars with him and in -self-defence he'd have to learn their religion, the better to refute -it. "What are the fine points of their theology?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"Very old," muttered Gowru. "Priestesses are selected for temperamental -qualifications. Rites are ancient Hindu, maybe older than that."</p> - -<p>"Rites?" he queried. "Sacrifices?"</p> - -<p>"It's no sacrifice," yawned the other. "They're a local fertility cult."</p> - -<p>Rains' mind swung back to the priestess he had encountered on first -entering the temple, the only one he'd seen. The hall had been dimly -lighted, but she'd been young and very seductive. 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