Part 50 (1/2)
”Watch out!” Veg cried. ”One of the machines is after us!”
”I am an emissary of Machine Prime,” the unit said. ”As you will recall, we made an agreement for the exchange of enclaves between our frames.”
”That's true,” Tamme said, but her body was tense. She no longer carried the frame homer: evidence of her bad faith.
”You will note that I address you in your own dialect rather than the one we worked out in our prior interview.”
”I noted,” she said tightly.
”Peace is being established between the alternates. We are in touch with your home-frame and are making contact with others. There will be no exchange of enclaves.”
”Meaning?” She was trying to a.s.sess the best method of disabling the machine.
”We never intended conquest despite your suspicions. We wished only rapport, a stronger base against what we deemed to be a common enemy. You misjudged our motive, and we misjudged the patterns. Such misconceptions are being resolved. If you will accompany me now, you will be satisfied.”
Veg shook his head. ”I have this strange feeling we should believe it. A machine never tried to talk to me before. It sure knew where to find us, and it didn't attack.”
Tamme shook her head. ”I don't trust it. We know how vicious these machines can be.”
”I must convey you to catal Huyuk,” the unit said. ”You have merely to remain in your places.”
”A machine can move us across alternates?” Tamme asked.
”A machine always has,” Veg reminded her. Uncertain of the situation, she made no overt resistance. The unit moved them. They phased smoothly from forest to city without the intercession of Blizzard.
Aquilon saw the machine and opened her mouth in a soundless scream. Cal looked up from a partly dismantled machine. ”Is this an answer to our message?” he inquired guardedly.
”You may call it such, Dr. Potter,” the unit said. Then Cal saw Veg and Tamme. He relaxed. ”h.e.l.lo,” he said, raising his hand in greeting. ”It must be all right. The machines are our friends -- I think.”
Tamme glanced from him to Aquilon. ”And are we friends, too?”
”You've changed,” Aquilon said, looking closely at her.
”I have gone normal.”
”We are all friends now,” the unit said. ”I will convey you to catal Huyuk ancient, where -- ”
”catal Huyuk!” Cal and Aquilon exclaimed together.
”Amplification,” the unit said. ”This frame is catal Huyuk modern. Our destination is catal Huyuk ancient.”
”This is catal Huyuk?” Cal asked. ”Ten thousand years later?”
”Time becomes irrelevant. We shall return you to your own frames after the decision-a.s.sembly or to any you prefer.”
Tamme and Aquilon were grim lipped; the men were more relaxed. What kind of decision was contemplated by the machine?
”catal Huyuk,” Cal repeated, shaking his head. ”The splendor of early man, forgotten...”
The two mantas settled, watching the unit. The surrealist city faded out, and the ancient catal Huyuk faded in.