Part 12 (1/2)

”I don't know whether we are lost, or, whether the prince has joined us, deserting the Jivros in the city you Zervs built.”

”None but Prince Genner knew our hiding place, and who else would place themselves under our fire range, knowing we were here?” Even as he spoke, the door opened in the side of the great disk, and the prince sprang out, turning to a.s.sist his sister to the ground.

The Croen, Cyane, standing beside me, suddenly leaped off the ledge, her long limbs making easy going of the sloping detritus below. Seconds later she was running easily across the plain toward the s.h.i.+p, and I was surprised to see the prince and the queen bow their knees to her, kneel before her as if praying to a G.o.ddess. She touched the bowed heads with her fingertips, and the three figures then entered the disk and the door closed. The s.h.i.+p lifted, took off alone in a southerly direction, flying higher and higher and out of sight. Even as it disappeared, another great disk lifted from the city, set out in the same direction in pursuit.

But the smaller s.h.i.+ps below lifted at once as they sighted this pursuit, set out after the second mother disk.

”I guess we're going to miss the fighting,” I said to Holaf.

”We can get into it when the time is right. We've got to move at once.

The Jivros know our location now. Come on!”

Holaf strode back into the cavern that had been the Zerv's hideout for so long. I followed, stopping curiously to examine the apparatus which the Croen had abandoned on the advent of the prince. It was a kind of still, bubbling now with a wick lamp under the red fluid, and nearly a gallon of the end product had collected in a big jar.

”What was this distillation all about?” I asked Holaf.

”It was a medicine she was making for the s.h.i.+nro. She said that an injection into their blood would increase their perceptions to a human range of intelligence, and that then we could use their resulting rage against their mutilators. It is only a temporary effect. It will wear off in a day, leave them again to the stupidity the Jivros gave them.

Now, she's gone, I don't even know the dosage. It is useless, the prince took her from us.”

”We can use it, if it is complete. I have the needle I used to revive the Croen. Bring the stuff; we'll try it.”

”We could circle the army, get into the city....” said Holaf, his eyes glittering on mine.

”Let's go,” I cried, getting his idea.

We were near a hundred and fifty young Zerv fighters, and perhaps as many women and old men and children. We wound through the pa.s.sages of the tunnels in the mountain, came out on the far side from the valley.

Along the mountainside we traveled, and I realized we were at the mercy of any force we met, being too few and too hampered with baggage and the helpless members of the Zerv families.

But Holaf knew what to do. He pointed out a trail toward the wilderness to the thin little column, told them where to take cover and await his return. Then with myself and a dozen of his best warriors, he turned his face again toward the Jivro stronghold.

We circled the valley, marching hard, crossing the upper narrow end.

Coming toward the city, twilight was closing down, and we made the last few miles in complete darkness.

Near the walls, Holaf chopped a thirty-foot sapling, which we carried to the wall. A young Zerv swarmed up the pole, let down a rope to help the ascent of the others. I climbed the rough pole after him. I hadn't the athletic ability of these Zervs who seemed to like to climb ropes hand over hand. So over and down into the silent city we went, drawing up pole and rope after us, hiding them in the shadows of the wall.

Like shadows we stole along the streets, and after long minutes heard the unmistakable feet of the s.h.i.+nros. They came with that ghastly mechanical rhythmic tread, eyes staring, backs burdened. I guessed that now their burdens were materials for the defense of the wall. We followed, and not far distant from the breach of the explosion of the disk s.h.i.+p, found our chance. They were accompanied by four of the hopping Jivros, and upon the back of each a young Zerv sprang, silent as stalking cats, striking them down, crus.h.i.+ng their skulls with vibro-gun barrels.

Holaf and I set to work immediately on the mindless s.h.i.+nros, injecting shots of the red fluid into their veins one by one, varying the shots to gauge the effect. But it was potent stuff, and before I had the third man under the needle, the first was speaking in a hoa.r.s.e, angry voice.

”What has happened to me, what--what?”

Holaf said: ”These are almost all graft jobs, were once captives and normal men. The result, if this shot works, is going to be a thoroughly angry man, fighting mad for the blood of the Jivros.” Then he raised his voice to the newly revived s.h.i.+nro.

”You were made into a beast of burden by the Jivro insects! Tonight you will get your revenge. This shot of sense we are giving you will last only till daylight, so your life does not matter--it will revert to the beast in the morning. Go and spend your time where it will hurt the Jivros most--spill their blood. Their power is ending this night! This is the beginning of the end for all the Jivro parasites of our race. What we begin tonight will not stop till every Jivro in the ancient Schree group of planets is dead and gone!”

As we completed our injections, the column stood waiting, but a column of sane men, ready to shed Jivro blood for their revenge.

”Go as if to get more burdens of stone to repair the wall. When the Jivros show themselves, kill, get weapons, do not stop killing until they are gone or you are dead. You have but this night; make the most of it.”