Part 14 (2/2)

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Fani said in a soft voice:

”This is nice!”

”What's nice about it?” demanded Hoddan.

”Riding like this,” said Fani enthusiastically, ”with men who have fought for me to guard me in the darkness, with the leader who has rescued me by my side, underneath the stars-- It's a delicious feeling!”

”You're used to riding horseback,” said Hoddan dourly.

He rode on, while mountains stabbed skyward and the pa.s.s they followed wound this way and that and he knew that it was a very roundabout way indeed. And he had unpleasing prospects to make it seem less satisfying, even, than it would have been otherwise.

But they came, at last, to a narrow defile which opened out before them and there were no more mountains ahead, but only foothills. And there, far and far away, they could see the sky as vaguely brighter. As they went on, indeed, a glory of red and golden colorings appeared at the horizon.

And out of that magnificence three bright lights suddenly darted. In strict V-formation, they flashed from the sunrise toward the west. They went overhead, more brilliant than the brightest stars, and when partway down to the horizon they suddenly winked out.

”What on Earth are they?” demanded Fani. ”I never saw anything like that before!”

”They're s.p.a.ces.h.i.+ps in orbit,” said Hoddan. He was as astounded as the girl, but for a different reason. ”I thought they'd be landed by now!”

It changed everything. He could not see what the change amounted to, but change there was. For one thing--

”We're going to the s.p.a.ceport,” he told Thal curtly. ”We'll recharge our stun-pistols there. I thought those s.h.i.+ps had landed. They haven't. Now we'll see if we can keep them aloft! How far to the landing grid?”

”You insisted,” complained Thal, ”that we not go back to Don Loris'

castle by the way we left it. There are only so many pa.s.ses through the hills. The only other one is very long. We are only four miles--”

”Then we head there right now!” snapped Hoddan. ”And we step up the speed!”

He barked commands to his followers. Thal, puzzled but in dread of acid comment from Fani, bustled up and down the line of men, insisting on a faster pace. And the members of the cavalcade had not pushed these animals as they had their first. Even the lead horses, loaded with loot, managed to get up to a respectable ambling trot. The sunrise proceeded.

Dew upon the straggly gra.s.s became visible. Separate drops appeared as gems upon the gra.s.s blades, and then began gradually to vanish as the sun's disk showed itself. Then the angular metal framework of the landing grid rose dark against the sunrise sky.

When they rode up to it. Hoddan reflected that it was the only really civilized structure on the planet. Architecturally it was surely the least pleasing. It had been built when Darth was first settled on, and when ideas of commerce and interstellar trade seemed reasonable. It was half a mile high and built of ma.s.sive metal beams. It loomed hugely overhead when the double file of s.h.a.ggy horses trotted under its lower arches and across the gra.s.s-grown s.p.a.ce within it. Hoddan headed purposefully for the control shed. There was no sign of movement anywhere. The steeply gabled roofs of the nearby town showed only the fluttering of tiny birds. No smoke rose from chimneys. Yet the slanting morning suns.h.i.+ne was bright.

As Hoddan actually reached the control shed, he saw a sleepy man in the act of putting a key in the door. He dismounted within feet of that man, who turned and blinked sleepily at him, and then immediately looked the reverse of cordial. It was the red-headed man he'd stung with a stun-pistol the day before.

”I've come back,” said Hoddan, ”for a few more kilowatts.”

The red-headed man swore angrily.

”Hus.h.!.+” said Hoddan gently. ”The Lady Fani is with us.”

The red-headed man jerked his head around and paled. Thal glowered at him. Others of Don Loris' retainers s.h.i.+fted their positions significantly, to make their oversized belt-knives handier.

<script>