Part 60 (1/2)

ficial gills such as those employed in gelsuit masks could not operate at these depths.

The viscous miasma that had been dulling Cora's mind was abruptly shattered. She looked at her com- panions as if they had surprised her from a deep sleep, saw that they were regarding her with the same bemused expressions. Only then did Merced relax. But he still held the gun.

”A very sophisticated bit of mind control, this,” he told them. ”Contradiction finally broke its grip, just as it did with the surviving baleens that led us here.

It was reimposed and finally killed them, but I think we'll be able to stand it better now. I think it varies in intensity and effectiveness proportional to the dis- tance between projector and subject, which says to me that our quarry is still here, close by, just as the baleens suggested.” He was getting angry now, sounding noth- ing like the shy biologist of weeks gone by.

”This sort of thing is banned by every related Com- monwealth law and Church edict. Either someone's managed to break those laws or else we're facing those who don't care about them. Like the AAnn, or another hostile race that could benefit from Commonwealth expulsion from this world.

”The controls were put on you all so subtly that even though you were talking about such controls and their possible manipulators, you weren't aware it was ac- tually happening. When you all suddenly agreed that the search was useless and that it was time to return to the surface, I knew what was taking place.”

”How come,” Cora wondered, terribly embarra.s.sed at having been so thoroughly invaded and directed, ”you weren't controlled?”

”Even though such devices are illegal, the service still trains us to deal with them. It's a matter of mental gymnastics, a reflex action that commenced working even before I knew what was happening.” He sounded a little embarra.s.sed himself. ”If there had been a fight,

I would have risked killing all of you. There's more at stake here now than just thousands of additional lives.

”I regret having had to expose myself, but at this point I don't suppose it makes much difference.” He looked briefly at Rachael and said in an entirely dif- ferent tone of voice, ”Except maybe to you.

”Do you still feel we should return to the surface?

That we're wasting our tune here?”

”No. Of course not,” Cora said, shocked that she could ever have thought otherwise. ”They must still be hiding here. You say that distance governs the ef- fectiveness of the controls and contradiction breaks them down?”

”That, and awareness that they exist. Especially after you've been exposed to and then freed from their effect. That's part of our training, along with resisting drugs that have the same effect.”

”I've got something here.” Mataroreva had turned his attention back to the instruments. ”I suppose it might have been here all along, and whatever's out there blocked it out in my mind?”

”Possible,” Merced agreed.

Mataroreva moved to adjust the controls, paused, and glanced over his shoulder.

”It's okay.” Merced lowered the weapon. ”The fact that you hesitated is further proof that you're your own self again. What kind of submersible is it: mobile or a permanent installation?”

”Neither,” Mataroreva said in a curious voice. ”It's organic.”

”Another ribbon fish?” Cora asked, referring to the luminescent giant they had encountered earlier in their descent.

”No, I don't think so.”

The object continued slowly toward the neutrally buoyant craft. At first it was a distant pinpoint, glow- ing like a star in the night. The surrounding deep-sea

254 CACHALOT.

life scattered rapidly and faded from sight. Only breathing sounded inside the submersible.

The star grew larger, split, subdivided into many different stars. All the while it continued to grow, il- luminating the darkness as it neared, growing ma.s.sive beyond expectation, beyond belief. It became so bright that they could see the last lingering sea life race, terrified, past the windows of the submersible, their transparent skins gla.s.sine envelopes holding highly pressurized fluids and organs.

The huge bulk grew beyond imagination, beyond reasonable thought. Cora wondered if Sam had been wrong, if they were being challenged by a machine, albeit no submersible she had ever dreamed of.