Part 10 (1/2)
”Understand. But do you?” The brach's meaning was obscure. Perhaps he guessed that, for now he continued with the same desire to impress as Dane had used.
”I do this-you free. What you do then for me-for mine?”
A bargain! Dane was startled. He had forgotten that the brachs were cargo, that they really had no reason to join the crew. Come to think of it, they had not even asked the brach if he wanted to help them. They had used his particular talents as they would those of an animal as he had once been considered.
Dane explained to Tau and Meshler. The medic spoke.
”But, of course. Why should we think he would automatically go on running into danger for us?”
”He freed us in that camp,” cut in Meshler. ”If he didn't want to help us, then why that?”
”We were something he needed.” Dane thought he had the answer. ”He wanted our protection in the wilderness.”
”Then he'll need it now.” Meshler seized upon that triumphantly. ”We're all in this together.”
”The conditions,” Tau pointed out, ”are not quite the same. That was wilderness. There must be some kind of a camp or settlement near here. He doesn't need us as much as we need him now.”
”What do you want?” Paying no attention to his companions, Dane came to the point with the brach.
”No cage-be free with own-” the alien replied promptly The brachs were still cargo. Dane had no right to make such a decision. But neither were intelligent beings cla.s.sed as cargo-they were pa.s.sengers, whether the authorities agreed or not. And pa.s.sengers, providing they had committed no crime on board the Queen, were free to go. Only he had no authority and could not make a bargain-nor give empty promises. There was expediency in trade to be sure, but there were limits past which one did not go, and the most fragile of these dealt with contacts with X-Tee races. He would stake his whole future career on any decision he made now. Perhaps Meshler did not realize that, but Dane thought Tau would when he pa.s.sed along the brach's request.
”If he's intelligent,” Meshler snapped, ”then he had no business in a cage. Tell him 'yes' and let him get us out of this cage!”
But was it that simple? Suppose Dane said ”yes” and the legalities of trade later said ”no”? The brachs were cargo, undischarged cargo. They had a consigner on Xecho, a consignee waiting at the port. And would those tamely accept such a bargain?
”What are you waiting for?” Meshler demanded even more sharply. ”If this alien can find the controls and shut off the field, he'd better get at it. Do you realize what may be in here with us?”
But Dane was not going to be pushed into what might seem betrayal in the future. He was stubborn on that point.
”I would say go free”-he tried to choose his words with care, to make certain the brach understood-”but there are those greater than I who can say I am wrong. I cannot promise they will not do that.”
Tau had switched off the beamer once the drawing had been studied, and Meshler was pulling on his jacket. Dane could not see the brach, only that its nose pointed in his direction. Then came the alien's answer.
”You feel for us. Will you speak for us?”
”I will. So will all of the s.h.i.+p.”
”More is needed.”
”I cannot promise freedom that another may say no to. That would be a wrong thing. But I shall speak for you.”
”Then there shall be done what can be. If this box can be found-”
The brach went to the haze, nosing around for several paces, almost as if he were sniffing for some weak spot. Then he halted, his head down, and he stood very still. Tau gave a small exclamation and caught at Dane's arm to draw his attention. On the dimly lighted dial of the detect, the needle was moving, picking up speed until it was a blur. Meshler's half-choked cry brought their eyes back to the barrier.
To Dane's sight there was no thinning of the haze, yet the brach was already halfway through and a second or two later stood on the other side. He turned to look back as if to rea.s.sure them and then trotted away in the direction they had been going when the field trapped them.
”We stay by the perimeter,” Meshler advised, ”but get this as a screen around us.” He nodded to the brush.
What more he might have added was never to be heard, for there was a shrill tearing of the night by noise, such a shriek of insanity as Dane had never heard, sending his hands to his ears, his shoulders hunching as if that sound were a lash laid across his body.
A second shriek and Dane saw against the faint light of the haze that he was not the only one cowering from that outbreak of audio violence.
”What-what was that?” Surely as a ranger, Meshler must know the source.
”Nothing that I know.” The ranger's voice was that of a badly shaken man.
”The force field is not only a trap”-Tau gave them grim understanding of what might face them now-”but it is also probably a cage. And I don't think I care to meet what we share it with.”
It would be far better, Dane decided in that instant, that the owners of this trap come and take them out as prisoners. They dared not get too far away from the barrier. If the brach was successful, they must be ready to make swift use of freedom. But what they were entrapped with-whatever prowled here-must also be faced. And they had no weapons.
”Fire-a torch-” That was Tau. Dane heard a crackling and saw a piece of well-leafed bush sway violently and then separate from the trunk as the medic broke it loose.
”Do you have a striker?” Tau asked Meshler.
”Green stuff-may not burn,” the ranger returned. But once more he delved into the pack. ”Hold it away from you-well away-”
What he did Dane could not see, but at last Meshler seemed satisfied.
”That's wet down with proto fuel. One spark and it will give you fire all right. You are right in believing that fire will hold off most beasts. Only we aren't sure what roams here. Light-the beamer-might have some effect also.”
”The brach went that way,” Dane said. ”If we follow it along within the haze-”
”As good a way as any,” Meshler agreed.
However, they did keep behind the screen of brush, and they went slowly and carefully. There had been no second outburst of the hideous screaming, yet Dane expected at any moment to confront some horror out of the night.
In a very short time the road made by the crawler treads swung away from the haze again. And they lingered at that point, not wanting to venture far from the one tie with freedom. Tau broke the silence first.
”Any camp must be over there-”
Dane saw the dark blot of Tau's arm against the haze. The medic was pointing along the curve of the road.
”Source of radiation that way.”
”What I don't understand,” Dane said slowly, ”is how an establishment of this sort can exist and the government know nothing about it.”
He expected some comment, probably an impatient one, from Meshler. When the ranger said nothing, suspicion was bom.
”You do know something!” Tau put Dane's thought into words. ”Is this a government project then? And if so-”
”Yes, if so, you ought to be able to get us out!”
Meshler s.h.i.+fted weight from one foot to the other. They could not see his expression, but there was something about his silence that fed Dane's uneasiness.
”We're waiting,” Tau said.