Part 103 (1/2)
The Firvulag royal enclosure was deep in a nimbus of scarlet anguish. Its dense cl.u.s.ter of supporting mentalities pulsed in irregular rhythm, slowing and then quickening, and flaring up here and there in nervous coruscations of vermilion and angry white. The Firvulag astral arm was much larger than that of the Tanu, but its colour shone dull carmine.
”The Little People falter,” Katlinel observed to her husband.
Her face was troubled, in contrast to the jubilant Howler subjects that capered about.
Sugoll said, ”It is as we expected. Having lost the initial advantage when Aiken phased in his unexpected subsumed faculties, they are on the verge of panic. The pain unnerves them and metaconcert is still too unfamiliar a discipline for them to have confidence in their superior potential ... Hark! Can you hear the desperate confabulation taking place on the racial submode? They fear they are done for. But Queen Ayfa proposes a bold plan. She will take half the linkage and transfer to the Tanu bracelet and push, while Sharn's force continues to pull.”
”Firvulag have ever been dubious about following female generals,” Katlinel remarked. ”I wonder-”
The spectators screeched. The Firvulag astral arm split suddenly into two. But the Tanu responded with violent, wrenching tugs that had the Firvulag bracelet sliding to within a bare half metre of the golden serpent's amethyst fangs. The secondary Firvulag arm groped impotently for the base of the Tanu bracelet.
”The blunderers!” Sugoll cried. ”The increase in the pain burden causes them to lose heart. Many of Queen Ayfa's force desert her, rus.h.i.+ng to help Sharn pull the black serpent's tail away from the rival's punis.h.i.+ng jaws! The Queen's ploy is ruined. She retires in disorder.”
The second astral arm commanded by luckless Ayfa petered away into falling sparks and the Queen hastened to reestablish the mind-link with her consort. All over the Firvulag grandstand, gnomish minds were giving up the struggle. Tiny red embers winked out as people climbed to their feet and resigned.
Aiken and his team made a flooding sunburst. With a last mighty movement, the golden arm pulled the tail of the black serpent through the Tanu worm's jaws. The dark-jewelled bracelet disappeared behind glittering purple fangs. A final enormous bow of lightning haloed the twin serpentine bodies. Then the black snake seemed to catch fire, devoured in yellow flames.
Its head withdrew into the mountain. Its twisted body writhed, disentangling itself from its victorious antagonist. The burning black snake fell to ashes and only a golden circle was left, poised on the artificial mountain base like some huge, upstanding Tanu torc.
”Your people will need some hours to recover their strength,”
Marc said to Sharn and Ayfa. ”We can use it productively. My metaconcert program will not be too difficult for you to a.s.similate if you both subordinate yourselves to my coercive function and let me force-feed the data.”
”Submit to you?” Sharn exclaimed in horror. ”I knew it! You intend to enslave us!”
”What good even the Nightfall victory,” Ayfa wept, ”if in the end, the Adversary rules over all?”
”Fools,” said Abaddon. ”Haven't I told you that I have no interest in this miserable world? Once your minds help me to break into Castle Gateway, I'll set you free-and good riddance!
No strings attached. You'll have my metaconcert program, the ability to exert firm control over the undisciplined brains of your rabble. And I'll have what I want ... secure on a world fourteen thousand light-years away from you. Now choose!”
The co-monarchs stared numbly at the dark armoured ma.s.s that lurked at the back of the now-deserted royal enclosure.
The thing's inhuman mind opened to them, showing a tantalizing glimpse of complexity, beckoning.
Together, they pa.s.sed into the abyss.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN.
It was past 0400. Only Cloud's redactive faculty now sustained Tony Wayland as he made continuous manual adjustments to the faulty cladding device that spun gossamer-fine niobiumdysprosium wire.
”You're doing fine, Tony,” Cloud said. ”Only another five hundred metres to go. You can do it-”
The cladder's spec-variance alarm went off. He croaked, ”G.o.d-not again!”
Respool. Cut off the strand at the slub and clear the aperture.
Make microscopic adjustments to the fouled vaporizing chamber. Smear more balsam sealant on the leaking nipple gasket.