XIV

Dr. Howard James opened his eyes and sighed deeply. "Yes, I killed

him," he said. "An affair was one thing. That I could tolerate. But she

was going to divorce me and marry him. That I could not endure." He

shook his head. "How she found out, I'll never know, but she did. And

then when I found that she was going to denounce me...."

He looked at Burleigh. "I was jealous of you, too. It seemed to me

that her dislike of you was too pointed; I didn't believe it. And once

she was ready to leave me, I wanted to kill every other man she had

anything to do with."

Auckland took out his notebook. "That was a very interesting

confession, Doctor," he said to James. "I wondered if you wouldn't say

something like that when you were confronted."

"What put you on to him, Roy?" asked Burleigh.

Auckland brushed off a few grains of sand on the cover. "You know," he

said to Edholm, "I don't think it will be necessary to make that test

about the concussive force of a pellet exploded in the basement of the

villa."

"The pellets _have_ been tested," said James. "If a flying block had

hit me, it would have killed me, or crippled me seriously. Had it been

out in the open, the concussion would have been fatal. It was a damned

dangerous joke for him to pull on me. I _could_ have been so absorbed

that I didn't hear the timer ticking."

"It's quite a loud tick," Edholm said, "but as you say...."

There was relief in the air now, relief and a certain measure of

sympathy, tempered with caution. Retributive justice, they all knew,

was a thing of the past. James would be neither executed nor tortured

for his crimes; he would be treated. But that treatment, while

restoring him to sanity, would leave him with an inescapable horror at

himself, something which only a strong belief in divine mercy could

alleviate. In either case, the rest of his life would be spent in

atonement.

But he hadn't been treated yet. The madness which had expressed itself

in murder was still on him. He must be prevented from adding to his

offenses, for his own sake as well as that of those who stood to suffer

from them.

Roy Auckland looked at him, and at the glass that had been put on the

table beside Edholm. "You asked me how I got on to the truth." He

smiled wryly. "I lied to you a moment ago, Doctor, when I said I was

unable to deduce your motive. The fact is, I had deduced it. But I

wasn't positive of it until just now. When you tried to commit suicide,

you made your final and fatal error so far as your objectives are

concerned."

"Huh?" asked Burleigh.

James looked up pleadingly. "You're wrong, Roy. It was Amelia. Just

Amelia. I was made to kill her."

Shirley Mason gasped. "Of course! It's so simple. If he died, his

confession couldn't be checked on. We could never be sure that the

motive he confessed to was the true one."

"Right. So long as the true motive was not known, there was always a

chance that you could reap the benefit from your crimes, even though

you did not live to see it. And that is why the full truth must come

out now. When you came to see me, you referred to your solution of the

problem of the Vaec here on Carolus.

"I put it to you that you had already delivered a partial report on it,

and that you have been working up a full report of what we will call

the James hypothesis--one which would give you considerable fame among

archaeologists if it were accepted--and the chances seemed very good.

"You never got over the loss of reputation you suffered through

innocent involvement in the Marlene hoax. Reputable standing in science

has been your obsession ever since. You could not endure so much as to

have your hypothesis questioned. That was the basis of your antagonism

toward Kenneth Glamis, not his affair with your wife."

"You mean he killed Glamis because Glamis was heckling him?" Edholm

sounded incredulous.

"Much more than that." He turned to the Carolinians. "Ekem-ve, it is

true, is it not, that Kenneth Glamis passed the tests you have been

putting us all to, and was told the true nature of the Vaec?"

"Yes, excellent Roy, this is true. Excellent Kenneth became special

friend of Vaec and learn many things hidden to others who do not

understand. Prepare long joke on foolish colleague."

"And that was the beginning of the tragedy. Glamis was now vastly

amused by the James hypothesis, but the joke he planned was a cruel

one. He made a full report on tape, which I am sure he planned to make

public _after_ Dr. James had staked his reputation on errors--errors

which he could not be greatly blamed for making. But Glamis couldn't

keep it to himself completely. He threw hints to Amelia James--hints

which she, as a loyal wife, despite her philandering, told her husband.

"That was when you decided to put an end to the expedition, Doctor, and

to kill Glamis. You wanted to make sure that no one else would learn

anything from the Vaec which would make your hypothesis suspect. At the

same time, you would make it appear as if someone was trying to kill

you, so that Glamis's death would appear to be accidental, as if he got

something intended for you. And I was to solve the case the way you

rigged it.

"It was clear to me from the first that the most likely explanation

of the two inept attempts was that you had arranged them yourself,

particularly when I found that we had noiseless timers with us. Just

the poison in the soup might have worked; in fact, I think it would

have deceived me, because anyone might not have known that Phrecle

could smell perfume in it. How did you know about Glamis?"

"I knew he was against me," James said. "I knew he had something up his

sleeve. The way he went to his room one night with a smirk on his face.

I looked through the window--he didn't always have the shutters closed

tightly--and saw him talking into the tape-maker."

"Then you contrived to go to his room later, when he was out, and

listen to it. And I assume that, among other things, he mentioned that

the Vaec perfume was made from a _dodlig_ base." He turned to Shirley.

"Are the methods of finding out the amount of _dodlig_ in the perfume

difficult?"

She shook her head. "No, if you know what test to run, it's very

simple." She frowned. "And the instructions are on file here. I think

any one of us could follow them."

"You also learned about the Vaec boxes and the pet bees, although not

quite enough. You didn't know they were incapable of stinging. And you

knew about the imitation box that Shirley and Glamis had made. So you

asked Ekem-ve to bring you a Vaec box for study. Ekem-ve, did the

doctor also ask for a pet bee, too?"

"Yes, excellent Roy. Ask us not to say anything about bee. Say he plan

harmless joke."

"And, of course, since the bee could not sting, it seemed harmless

enough. But there were two things which made me sure it was James who

was trying to frame someone--Burleigh, most likely--rather than someone

else using the phoney murder attempts as misdirection.

"On the night of the murder, Ekem-ve, Phrecle, Syeltan, and Hcent were

watching all of us. Phrecle reported that, after the meeting in the

rec-room, when we all were looking at the Rosetta stone book, Glamis

came out of Dr. James's room, and went to his own.

"Syeltan, who was watching that part of the building, reported that

Glamis was hunting for something in his room, very hurriedly. It was

growing dark gradually, and Glamis closed the shutters on his window

completely, and turned on the lights. I asked if they were sure it

was Glamis, and they said he was wearing the protective suit. And of

course, he was the only one of us they've ever seen wearing one.

"We all have suits, but look at this more carefully. First, Glamis

was not seen _going to_ James's room, suit or no suit, and he could

not have gone there from the rec-room without stepping outside the

building. However, this alone might just indicate that he went there

before Phrecle came on watch, or Phrecle wasn't looking in the right

direction at the moment.

"But why should Glamis be wearing a protective suit after sundown in

the first place? We know that he didn't like wearing them. We know

that when he went out on evenings, he didn't wear them. Why should he

put on a suit either to go to James's room, or put on one there, just

to walk back to his own room? Still more, Glamis was careless about

the shutters in his room. A good part of the time, they weren't closed

at all, or only partly closed. It all fits very well though when we

see that a figure in a protective suit in partial darkness might be

assumed to be Kenneth Glamis, but in full light, one could see clearly

who was wearing the suit.

"James found the tape, took it and went through the building to

Burleigh's room, probably taking off the suit and putting it in the

rec-room closet, and picking up a book on the way. He was seen leaving

Burleigh's room carrying a book. The tape was behind it. I assume you

erased it or destroyed it, Doctor."

"I expunged those malicious lies," said James heatedly. "He poisoned

you all against me. He wasn't fit to live!"

"Now," said Auckland, "we come to the most curious part of the evening.

Ekem-ve had left a Vaec box in the lab, which James was presumed to

examine that night. Glamis went out with Shirley for awhile, then went

to the lab where Phrecle reports, he was doing some microscope work.

Then, after a while, he stopped." He leafed through the pages of the

notebook. "'Excellent Kenneth looks up from microscope and delivers

instruction to self. Then puts microscope away and takes out camera.

Puts box on table and starts to take pictures of box. Excellent Howard

unshutters window.'

"Glamis had not closed the shutters on the lab window. Why should he?

James called Amelia to the window beside him and they both watched

Glamis photographing the box, then Glamis looked up and saw them,

and waved to them. Thereupon both parties drew the shutters on their

windows.

"But this was not the box that Ekem-ve had delivered! This was the

imitation box that Glamis and Shirley had made. Now, why would Glamis

suddenly stop work on his own project to take photographs of a box

he recognized as an imitation? I refer you to that phrase, 'delivers

instruction to self.' Phrecle could see that he was talking, but could

not hear; he knew as we all knew that Glamis did talk to himself while

he was working.

"The answer is simple: Glamis wasn't talking to himself. He was talking

to someone on the intercom, someone who asked him to photograph the box

and close the shutters of the window while he was doing it. If anyone

but James had asked this, Glamis would have said, 'This isn't a Vaec

box, it's an imitation.' But for a laugh on Howard James, he'd go

through the motions."

"But how is it Amelia didn't hear him?" asked Shirley. "She was there

in the room."

"Perhaps he asked her not to say anything about that, because it would

cast suspicion on him. But more likely, she was asleep or dozing.

Phrecle said she came to the window slowly and looked annoyed. Why?

Perhaps because she had been awakened for what didn't seem to be a very

good reason."

"She was dozing," said James.

"The phoney box with its death trap was substituted between the time

we got back from the villa and supper. The shutters had to be closed,

otherwise Glamis's death might have been witnessed. In the morning,

James stepped into the lab and substituted the boxes again, concealing

the imitation in Burleigh's room."

Auckland sighed. "I thought the watch could be taken off by dawn. That

was a foolish mistake on my part. James had set intercoms through the

building at open and listened in to everything I said to Ekem-ve. He

knew then that he would be free to move without observation between

daylight and rising time for the rest of us. I did not foresee Glamis's

death. What I expected was another rigged attempt on James himself and

hoped to catch him at it.

"Then James killed the pet bee and put it on the floor himself."

"He wasn't content to make it look like an accident," sighed Burleigh.

"He wanted to saddle me with the whole plot. Then, I suppose, he'd

arrange for me to commit suicide, so I couldn't be examined and my

innocence proved."

"Exactly. Later, he learned through listening in with my conversation

with you, that I was going to see Ekem-ve. What he did that night is

what he accused you of doing: doping everyone, poisoning Amelia, then

going out to take care of me."

Howard James's hand had slipped down into a corner of his chair. Now

he lifted it, and they saw that he was holding a needlegun. He rose

quickly.

"You're all against me," he said petulantly. "You're all letting

yourselves be taken in by these jokers, whose one ambition in life

seems to be to have a good laugh at someone's expense. I hoped I could

make you see reason, but you're ready to sacrifice science for the

sake of a worthless clown and his native stooges. And to listen to an

amateur Sherlock Holmes.

"I hoped this wouldn't be necessary. I didn't want to kill her, either,

but you forced me to it. Now I'm leaving and I advise you not to try

to find me. You didn't think I was so stupid as not to have another

plan ready in case of accidents, did you, Roy? You'll all be dead soon,

anyway, and this time I have a foolproof explanation worked out. But

first, we'll take care of these stooges."

Shirley screamed as he turned the gun toward Ekem-ve and Hcent, but the

two Vaec showed no signs of alarm. James's finger tightened and then

a look of horror crossed his face and the gun fell from his fingers.

It all happened even while Auckland was leaping toward the man, and he

didn't see what the doctor and the others, who were following his gaze,

were staring at: a little pile of needles which had suddenly appeared

on top of the file cabinet several feet away.

An instant later, Auckland had hit the doctor, and the two were

rolling on the floor. James was up first. He reached the door and was

outside....

No! He was sitting in the chair again, rigid, his mouth open.

"I've gone mad," Burleigh whispered. "I'm seeing things!"

"No you're not, Cal," said Auckland, picking himself up and drawing

Shirley, who was running to him, into his arms. "Ekem-ve, you've got to

tell them now. I leave it to your wisdom as to how much. But they've

got to know the meaning of it."

"You are right, Roy," said Ekem-ve, blinking rapidly. "Excellent

Earthmen, two foolish natives have much to tell you, and much to ask

your forgiveness for."

The two Vaec stood there, the single hairs on their heads flat down

and backward, as Ekem-ve finished, saying, "... but we, too, have

become trapped in pride, for we rashly assumed that we understood you,

Earthmen, and were confident that our tests would bring you no harm."

Burleigh shook his head. "And I, and others, were worried about our

corrupting you. You are far ahead of us in so many ways. If our own

pride was of as little moment...."

"The Creator has given us certain powers which seem great to you--such

as what you call teleporting, as we did with the needles in Dr. James's

gun, and returning him here when he tried to flee. Or what you would

call hypnotic control, which makes it impossible for him to move, now,

although he can see and hear us. But you, too, were given far more

powers than you realize, and when you learn them, it may be that the

Vaec will truly be simple natives in comparison."

He looked at James. "You were right about one thing, Doctor, and if you

had only been content to accept the book which we left for you, and let

the rest of your theory give way to truth, surely other Earthmen would

have honored you. We are indeed that other culture which those whom you

call the Old Martians knew.

"But we are not natives of this planet, nor colonists, nor the

descendants of colonists. Our lives are very long, and we see now that

this alone makes it harmful to be in contact with you, so long as yours

are so short by comparison. This one thing alone would make you feel

frustrated, envious, hating. It would stand in the way of your own

development as an almost impassable barrier."

"You mean," asked Edholm, "that man has the capacity to be long-lived,

without things like the rejuvenation treatments?"

"The Creator did not intend humans to live but a day, Captain. When you

learn to live as you were created to live, this and many other things

now hidden from you will be yours. If we could teach you how to help

yourselves, we would gladly do it. But we cannot. So we must depart."

"Amazing," said Burleigh. "That magnificent structure in the

desert--all part of a joke, which was really a test of our ability

to understand." He smiled at Auckland. "But some of us passed it, at

least."

"Perhaps we all would have in time," said Shirley, "if this hadn't

happened."

"Don't feel bitter about might-have-beens, Shirl," said Auckland. "It

might have been much worse in the long run. But, Ekem-ve, just what are

the Vaec doing here on Carolus? If it's something that's safe for us to

know," he added.

"We are what you might call vacationists, Roy. This is one of the

Vaec's vacation planets. Now it is time for us all to return to our

vocations." He looked around the group. "We shall miss this planet,

which, as you have seen, is very beautiful. But we give it to you

gladly and hope that you will find true mirth here."

"Then we won't see you any more?" asked Burleigh.

"When Earthmen and Vaec can meet again without harm, you will find us

easily. Until then, you will never find us, however diligently you

search. I hope that no Earthmen will disbelieve us and beat against

futility. Farewell."

The two Vaec wiggled their fingers and turned toward the door. There

was an instant of silence. Auckland, Shirley, Edholm, and Burleigh

stepped to the window, to see them walking away slowly. Then the two

were gone. They turned as a gasping moan came from James's chair.

"The capsules. The vitamin capsules," he gasped. "Don't take any. I

poisoned them...."

He tried to get up out of the chair, then fell back and slumped

forward. Edholm bent over him. "He's in a state of shock.

Psychosomatic, I'd guess, though it's only a guess." He passed a hand

across his brow. "The supply ship is due in a few days, and three of

us can return to Earth with it. Two will have to remain until its next

trip, or a special ship is sent. He'll be one of the three to go, of

course."

Shirley's hand stole into Auckland's and squeezed. He squeezed back.

In the morning, they drove the crawler to the village and found it

deserted, the artifacts left behind. There would be much Vaec material

here to study. He wondered if the doors in the villa would still open,

and if the lights would still go on. On the way back, Auckland was

bitten by an ant-like insect that they had never seen before. It stung

like fire, but was apparently harmless otherwise.

"Now that the spurious aspects of this puzzle planet have been cleared

up," he said, "we can get to the real problems. There may be some real

deadly insect and animal life here, no longer kept away from us by the

Vaec. Sure you want to stay?"

She indicated beyond any possible shadow of doubt that she was sure.

When they arrived back, Burleigh met them, his face grave. "Howard had

another poisoned capsule on him," he said. "He must have come to during

the night and taken it, may he rest in peace.

"There'll be three graves here to tend now. And to be a reminder, I

hope." He added, "I wouldn't mind staying on alone, if you two want to

return to Earth."

He smiled faintly as he said it, knowing that they would not take

him up on the offer. "Very well, then, you colonists are detailed to

accompany me with shovels. Pioneers have to get practice in digging."