The period that follows defies description. It is simple to take a
protracted length of time and describe the events that transpire, but
when little or nothing of interest takes place, there is nothing to
record. It is similar to the engineering report of negative answer; it
is inconclusive and unsatisfying.
This is an historical record of the events that took place during a
certain period, and during that period there are times such as this in
which nothing happened.
Literally nothing.
It is this lack of action that made the outcome. Guy Maynard was a
Terran. Terrans have been accustomed for centuries to action. From
the time of the caveman to the present, Terrans have lived in a
cultural system that was ever accelerating. They progressed from the
animal-powered vehicle to the machine-powered vehicle in a matter of
years, and they went from land-travel to air-travel in the scant
matter of years. Life on Terra has been a constantly-increasing tempo
to the present, when Terrans traverse space in velocities measured in
thousands of miles per second.
It is improbable that Terrans will slow down. Like the Ertinians, once
a race is geared to high-velocity, slowing down is impossible.
The Ertinians, geared to a nomad life, could not conceive of a stable
system and like the proverbial tramp, continued to think in terms of
travel.
The Terran--Guy Maynard--found the peaceful life on Ertene suitable for
a long time. He expected that action would take place once Thomakein
and Leilanane were mated, but things fell into their grooves again, and
time went on interminably.
Guy tried to push the physicists that were working on his pet projects
and found a placitude that maddened him. The necessities of sudden and
decisive action were not there. Ertinians didn't think as Terrans do.
Eons had passed since anything of real velocity was needed, and their
thinking habits had been trained along these lines.
The idea of accepting an idea and developing it immediately into a
practical thing was unheard of. There had been no need. Certainly there
must be no need now.
Guy was a dynamo of action in a world geared to ten miles per hour.
He found that their scientific developments were slow and cumbersome.
Their science was not their own, but that of the worlds of their
passage, and with years between such contacts, scientific ambition was
low, indeed. With no competitive force driving them forward, Ertene had
assumed the role of a lazy man, content to live in indolence.
Had any danger come to Terra, it would have been answered immediately
and more than likely Terra would have gone out to meet the threat on
the threat's home ground. But after the first flurry of worry over the
disclosure of Ertene to Terra by the man Gomanar, Ertene's concern
subsided. Half-heartedly Ertene put up vortex projectors about their
cities, and then returned to their homes.
At first, Guy worried about these weapons. It was not fair to his peace
of mind to see on every hand the evidence of Ertene's dislike of Terra.
His own feelings were mixed; Terra hadn't played fair with him, true,
but the idea of ruling a planet that would kill thousand upon thousand
of his people stuck in Guy's throat. He worried about this, and because
he could tell no one about it--not even Thomakein for fear that his
motives be mis-read--he worried alone.
His worry gave him something to do, at least.
* * * * *
But then as the days added into kilodays, and Ertene continued on
and on and on in its course through the heavens, and no Terran
forces came to contest or to seek, Guy became used to the idea that
Ertene's barrier was far more obscure than the proverbial needle
in the haystack. A magnet, well plied, will show the fallacy
of that platitude, but trying to see nothing against a field of
black--impossible.
Guy knew that his no-radiation detectors were being used. He suspected
deeper developments, and fumed and fretted because he could not know
what they were. His imagination cooked up many ideas, possible and
impossible, for the finding of such a minute bubble in space. And it
all reduced to one thing.
Mephisto had been unfound for hundreds of years of space travel and
exploration. Men suspected the possibility of inner- and outer-planets
and went on the search for them. They failed until the Ertinian science
provided Guy with an instrument to locate such bodies.
Ertene's chances were excellent.
And the mathematicians of Ertene spent kilodays in deep theory and high
abstractions and decided that the law of probabilities prohibited the
finding of Ertene.
And instead of feeling concern at the idea of fighting his own people,
Guy looked upon the vortex projectors in the same light as a fire
department in a city of pure metal.
Guy's life changed as a result of this. Like the man on vacation, he
began to seek something to do. The job of lanee was unexciting and drab
after the life of activity he knew on Terra.
On every hand he saw things that would be hailed as miraculous on
Terra. Medical science was far ahead of Terra's in spite of the drive
of necessity; Ertene's science had gone forward passively and the
diseases were gone completely from the planet. Their accident-surgery
could stand a bit of Terran influence just as the Terrans could stand
some of Ertinian vaccine and antibody discoveries.
He scorned the speed of the workmen that erected the home for Thomakein
and Leilanane--now named Leilakein, of course--because it took them
almost a thousand days. The same home, he knew, could have been erected
upon the planets Venus, with material shipped cold from Terra, and the
couple would have been living in it within sixty days.
But Terran workmen used tiny MacMillans to drill holes instead of
the brace and bit of the ancients. Spikes and nails were unused on
Terra, instantaneous welding was done on metal, and molecular-bonding,
and forming. Wood was worked with portable power-tools, and fastened
together with huge wire staples formed as used from spools of wire, and
driven with the machine on the premises.
In the sky, traffic moved ponderously and sedately. Even in rush
periods Ertinian traffic did not approach the mad scramble that took
place on Terra.
Guy drove his flier through the skies with them and came to the
conclusion that the hurrying scramble of traffic and its frequent
accidents was productive of a bunch of better drivers. The percentages
of dented wings to fliers in the sky was higher on Ertene.
He read an editorial in a paper objecting to the lanee's hairbreadth
sky-tactics and Guy scorned the words because he hadn't been in the
slightest danger. After all, Guy had learned to run a flier over
Sahara Base, where a flier sometimes cut between building tops in a
vertical bank to keep from hitting wingtips, and where one of the more
scatter-brained stunts consisted of racing another driver to the last
landing space.
"Sure, they lost fliers that way," grinned Guy aloud. But it made for
the quick or the dead and it kept people on their toes.
He accepted Charalas' theories about survival, and admitted that if
Terra were rotten and avaricious, so was he. He knew that if it came to
a choice, he'd prefer that they experiment on a Titanian than upon him.
His only sore spot was the fact that Terra denied him his right to his
secret--and his life. They had been more than unreasonable in that,
expecting him to break his oath to them.
And that brought back the old argument. Who was right? Should he have
agreed to Ertene's oath and then sold them out?
He shook his head. Had he been that kind, Ertene would not have
permitted him to leave.
* * * * *
Guy had spent his life under the idea that when things went too
quietly too long grief was brewing. He had theorized upon it, and had
formulated the relation that the amount of grief was proportional to
the length of quiet time.
His accounting was piling up to a terrible, staggering total. He
knew it wouldn't last, couldn't last. He hoped that Thomakein would
move, giving him a chance to lose himself. But Thomakein went about
his business quietly, testing the vortex projectors and handling the
details of defense.
What form the end would take, Guy didn't know.
He'd have welcomed it save for the one fact that if and when it came,
Guy would then be out of a place to live. Terra had made it impossible
to remain there, to have Ertene denied him would make him a man without
a planet.
And so he fought the idea of alliance with Terra because such an
alliance would place him right in the hands of the Terrans themselves.
There would be no forgiving if they came, and once they came and
disclosed Guy's real identity, Guy would have no Ertinian shelter.
Ertene would throw him out for violating his promise never to return.
Guy snorted at himself. His was a life of broken promises and
cross-purpose oaths.
But there was one oath he intended to keep. He would do all he could to
keep Ertene free--his life depended upon it! It occurred to Guy that
the way to keep things that way was to remove the source of irritation,
and so he began to investigate and to reason.
How lucky it was that Elanane had passed on as he did. How lucky
that Guy resembled him. Guy had accepted these coincidences glibly,
without question, until it came to him that Thomakein could have
done otherwise if he had found it necessary. Charalas had been lanee
once, and the neuro-surgeon would have followed Thomakein's urgings,
especially after Thomakein's stories of Terran intrigue.
It was too trite.
Would a popular ruler, professing isolation, refuse to arm his planet
against invasion? Perhaps. There are men who think that if they mind
their business, others will mind theirs. But not Terra. Not when known
otherwise, would such a policy work. The idea of passive resistance
went out when the airplane came in.
The real Elanane was quite a man. He was loved, admired, and eulogized.
He was intelligent, well-balanced mentally, morally, and physically.
Elanane was neither crank nor crackpot, and Guy knew that his theories
of government were stable and sensible.
Therefore Guy reasoned that Elanane would be certain to take any
measures to insure the safety of Ertene.
That would mean absolute co-operation with Thomakein. Elanane had
appointed Thomakein to study Terra and to report. A spy, if the word
must be used. Elanane would accept the word of his friend and do as
that friend suggested.
But Elanane might go so far and no more. There is a vast difference
between preparing to stand off a possible invasion and preparing to
fight an offensive war. Elanane might believe that the best defense is
a quick offense.
Would Thomakein do away with a friend for that?
Hardly. It must be deeper.
Coincidence was too thick. That alcohol and irritation business did not
make sense. Ertinian anti-lamine drugs were similar to Terra's, and
furthermore Ertinians used alcohol which would mean that the Ertinian
drug must have been tested under these conditions. That brought up
another thought.
If Thomakein had slipped a neutralizer into Guy's drinks, he could
almost be certain that exposure would follow.
Would Thomakein gain by such a deal?
Well, would he?
Guy's hand found the sensitivity control and stepped the power high.
His sensitive fingertips tuned for maximum contact with Thomakein.
The answer he sought exploded in his mind with clearness and
conciseness. Its sheer audacity staggered Guy. The very gall of the man
was appalling, and yet the utter forcefulness of Thomakein might push
it through. The plan itself was so daring that Thomakein would stun
those who were against him. Not permanently, but they would be amazed
long enough for the Ertinian to take his toll.
Once Thomakein unwound his plot, it would defy catching.
* * * * *
Guy headed for Thomakein's office on the run, and caught him present.
"I've just figured it," snapped Guy.
"So? Figured what?"
"That little plot you've been cooking!"
"Plot? You mean my plan for--"
"It's a stinking plot and nothing more."
"You're a little upset, Elanane. Remember that you live only at my
bidding."
"What did you do to Elanane?"
"It was unfortunate--"
"The men who permitted his death were dealt with," admitted Guy harshly.
"So?"
"But removing Elanane permanently didn't bother you at all."
"No, not too much. But remember that Elanane was my friend."
"I hope that I never have such a friend."
"You have," smiled Thomakein in a superior manner.
"You? God forbid!"
"Look, hothead, cool down. If you get tossed off of Ertene, then what?"
"I made an oath to protect Ertene."
"You made an oath never to return."
"I also made an oath never to tell. Also one previous to tell Terra of
anything I discover."
"Do you suppose that Ertene will believe anything you tell them once
the truth of your broken oaths are known?"
"They needn't know. I--am Elanane."
"We can put a stop to that," snapped Thomakein.
"I think that I can stop you first."
"No doubt," said Thomakein easily. "The Terran methods of hand-to-hand
fighting are devastating. But you'll never conceal your victory."
"You stinker," snarled Guy. "How about Leil?"
Thomakein's face fell. "I will be blamed for Elanane's death," he said
solemnly. "I am more than sorry about that."
"Being sorry is not enough."
"What do you intend to do about it?"
"Thomakein"--Guy opened the phonoscope key, dialed government
headquarters, and continued--"I arrest you, Thomakein, for treason
against the integrity of Ertene!"
The faces on the plate registered horror, and then action. The plate
continued to register as headquarters kept the circuit open. Guy
dropped his hold on the audio key to cut the sounds of men in full cry.
"Now we'll see."
"You idiot," laughed Thomakein. "You'll see how Ertinians stick
together!"
"We'll see."
"You might have come in," said Thomakein. "Together we could have ruled
the entire System."
"You planned to rule it alone," sneered Guy.
"I shall--now."
"You're the kind of man to share such power with me."
"Certainly."
"Rot."
"Have it your way."
"I'll have it my way," said Guy. "It's not your way."
"Nor yours. I don't particularly care," said Thomakein easily. "My
plans are about set anyway. A day or so means little."
"Days--even hours can ruin anything."
"Not when the plan includes the possibility of something slipping."
"Nice trick you played on me."
"Thank you, Guy. That's just an idea. If I can play puppets with a
ruler of Ertene, an ambitious young man from Terra, and the fate of
worlds and make everything come out even--I can run the show."
"You controlled the election of Elanane because he resembled me."
"Naturally. That was part of it."
"Why?"
"Because I knew that no Ertinian would permit me to arm Ertene for
power and invasion. It took an energetic man, with will, force, and
fear of discovery to push it through. Guy, you'd have been safe if I'd
been permitted to run this freely. Terra couldn't touch you. But you
choose to pit your futile will against mine. Mine--and Ertene's!"
"I am going to keep Ertene free!" shouted Guy, hammering on the desk
with his fist.
"You mean, 'Gomanar is going to save his skin!' don't you?" sneered
Thomakein.
"I'll shoot the works, Thomakein, if it's necessary."
"Poor lad. You had promise."
The door flung open, and police entered. They begged Thomakein's
forgiveness, and then marched him from the office to the great hall
wherein the Council met.
The great Hall of History brought back the memory of his first visit,
and Guy smiled. Then as the Council entered and seated itself, Guy
faced them. In the balcony above, faces peered over at the governmental
representatives. The wall below the balcony's edge came alive with the
hundred and eighty phonoscopes that would take this proceeding to all
Ertene.
"A grave charge has been made," said the leader of the group. "Who
brings this charge."
"I, Lanee Elanane, charge that this man, Thomakein, has plotted against
the Will of Ertene."
"The charge is treason, then?"
"Yes."
"Explain the reason for these charges. Remember, Lanee Elanane, this is
no trial, but a pretrial to arrive at the decision as to the graveness
of the crime. Evidence for such a crime must be collected, and if the
charge is allowed, you will be permitted to gather such evidence during
a period of time decided by this Council."
"I have reason to believe that Thomakein is plotting to take Ertene
into the Solar System," said Guy.
The Council exploded. The austere meeting broke into a riot of talk
until Guy shouted: "Quiet!"
"Proceed, Elanane."
"In addition, Thomakein has ambition to become the supreme ruler over
the allied Solar System and Ertene."
Harabond, the head of the Council, arose. "Assuming that Thomakein were
successful in his mechanical intrigue--he might be elected to rule. The
accomplishment of such a feat would prove his ability."
"Ertene can be swung, can't it?" asked Guy.
"Yes--but only if it is universally agreed on Ertene."
Guy leaned forward and his voice was dry and hard. "Harabond, on Terra
it is reported that many times a brilliant but dishonest leader of
minorities has succeeded in making a shambles of the world before he
was subdued. It is fear of this that has made Terrans distrustful
of everyone who is not openly for them. And do you think that a man
capable of running this intrigue to its present state of completion
would stop at elections? He'll grab!"
"Thomakein, will you offer defense?"
Thomakein stood forward with a cryptic smile upon his lips. "Harabond,
how long have you been Leader of the Council?"
"Proceed, Thomakein. Leave the personalities out of this."
"You do not know the man before you," said Thomakein. "Those of you who
were here when we first met a denizen of Sol--do you remember Gomanar?
This is he!"
"Impossible."
"Not at all. I remembered how he resembled the lanee-assistant. Elanane
became lanee later, remember. This man before you, Members of the
Council, is the man who promised never to tell of Ertene. He was
willing to violate his initial oath to Terra and keep us from exposure.
This is the man who spoke openly on Terra, violating his oath to us.
This is the man who is now violating his oath to us by being here--he
promised never to return."
"Get Charalas," said Harabond. A courier left silently, scowling that
his absence would deprive him of some interesting scenes.
* * * * *
"Now," said Harabond, "if this is whom you say, prove it here and now!"
"Have I no time to gather evidence?" asked Thomakein cynically.
"His charge against you was first. This matter of counter-charges
complexes the proceedings. Must we hold our lanee in trial to prove his
right to charge another with treason?"
"I need no time," said Thomakein. "I can prove that he is not Elanane."
"Perhaps I can disprove you," smiled Guy.
"He thinks to baffle us all," laughed Thomakein. "Harabond, so great is
his deceit that he thinks to fool us all."
"You may answer his charge," said Harabond to Guy.
"Harabond, do you recall thrashing me for swimming in your abandoned
quarry as a youngster? I was four kilodays old, then. At four point
three kilodays, Neilamon, your son and I--we were of an age--skipped
school and ran away to become vagrants. They found us and we were again
thrashed. It is laughable, gentlemen, but I find that I cannot recall
any incidents of good, bright, intelligent youth. Apparently I was a
healthy, normal youth that got into trouble as any healthy schoolboy
will. And there is Tocamay. He knocked out one of my baby teeth for
pulling the hair of the girl that sat in front of me in school.
Afterwards, we split an apple stolen from Harabond's orchard, and swore
never to trust a woman again--she walked home with the school sissy
whom we both hated. The sissy, remember him, Tocamay? He sits beside
you, now one of the better philosophers of Ertene and destined to go
down in history. Did you marry her, Diamony?"
"No," grinned the philosopher.
"Shall we take a vote?" asked Harabond.
"No impostor can be that well read," said Tocamay.
"To become educated in the present society might be accomplished, but
never to recall childhood things from learning. Impossible."
"Then you admit that Elanane is Elanane?"
"We do."
"I wish to add something," smiled Guy. "If I am this Gomanar, I want to
know what Thomakein did with Elanane?"
"You answer me that," smiled Thomakein. Guy started. The Ertinian
looked as though he were enjoying himself immensely. It worried Guy,
and he knew that Thomakein must have a pair of aces up his sleeve.
"Then we proclaim that this man is Elanane," said Harabond, "and Lanee
Elanane may proceed with the charges against Thomakein." He thought
for a moment. "No, we must--by law--listen to any evidence offered by
Thomakein that this man is not Elanane."
"I'll take the chance," said Thomakein brightly. Harabond looked at
Thomakein in amazement.
"Yes," nodded Thomakein. "I'll take the initiative now. Members of the
Council, a mind-reader could baffle us all. He could recall things of
our childhood at will, by reading our minds. This impostor--Gomanar by
Ertinian pronunciation--Guy Maynard by his mother on Terra--Elanane by
his own selection, has a mental amplifier, which enables him to read
thought!"
"Incredible!"
"Impossible!"
"Not at all," said Thomakein. "It is fact. This instrument is not
perfect. It reads surface thoughts only--unless the subject is thinking
at you. Then the deeper thoughts are clear."
"But if this is true, and he is not Elanane, how can he read deep
thoughts directed at Elanane?"
"Misdirection," said Thomakein. "You and I and Ertene thought he was
Elanane. We thought at him as Elanane. He used these thoughts for his
own purpose."
"Can you prove this?"
"Am I talking for fun?" sneered Thomakein. He stepped to the
phonoscope, snapped the key, and said: "Bring it in, Lentanar."
The door opened and the man brought in the huge thought-beam instrument
that Guy built in Elanane's workshop. "This is it," said Thomakein.
"What have you to say?" asked Harabond.
"May I show you how it works?" asked Guy. He stepped forward, turned it
on, tuned it to Thomakein and himself, and broadcast their thoughts.
"Now," he said, "read and think!"