Thorp said, "You're on the air. You're a celebrity," and grinned.
But Joel didn't smile. "What about Eden?" he asked.
Tamis said, "The Thinkers are calling the neighboring tribes. There
will be a big round-up of nigel trees...."
Joel let his breath escape with relief. "Tamis," he said, "can the
Thinkers give me a guide to the palace? I've got to get back."
"Is it Priscilla Cameron, Joel?"
He looked at the Ganelon girl. She had tight hold of Nick Thorp's hand.
"Yes," Joel, replied. "Lord knows what might have happened to her."
"We'll guide you."
"We're both with you," Thorp added.
Joel felt suddenly grateful to the strangely assorted pair. He'd had
to come all the way to Asgard to rediscover the meaning of friendship.
Like love, he thought.
Alpha Centauri B had set and Alpha Centauri A had not yet risen when
they arrived at the outskirts of Eden. The sky over the city was lurid
from the reflection of burning buildings. Whole blocks must be afire.
"There's Proxima Centauri," Tamis said, pointing to a drop of blood
gleaming in the night sky. "The little yellowish star above it is Sol."
Joel stared at it with a lump in his throat. It looked very cold and
far away. He hunched his shoulders, started down the street towards the
twinkling lights of Palace Hill.
The city itself was dark, lit only by ruddy flames. Gangs of looters
prowled the streets carrying torches. They paid no attention to Joel
and Thorp and the elfin Ganelon girl.
At the entrance to the tunnel beneath the palace, Joel halted. "Tamis,
it isn't safe for you to come any farther. You either, Nick."
But Tamis said, "I'll step out of sight," and did so. Thorp growled,
"You'll need me. Maybe Priscilla's alive."
Joel said, "Maybe," and touched the switch. A section of the wall slid
aside revealing the black tunnel mouth.
Thorp whistled softly.
"The walls of the palace are hollow," Joel explained. He closed the
door behind them.
At the first floor, he stopped the lift, crept out to one of the
mirrors. An immense hall met his eyes. It overflowed with guards armed
with ray projectors. The mutter of their voices was a low rumble in
Joel's ears.
"But can't they see us?" Thorp hissed.
"No." Joel explained the mirrors.
"Priscilla's not there," Thorp said. "How are you going to find her?"
"I'll find her," said Joel grimly and for the next hour he prowled
through the walls of the first floor like some ancestral ghost. Serfs
and police were everywhere. In some of the rooms indescribable orgies
were taking place.
"It'll take a year to search this maze," Thorp growled.
Joel stopped, wiped the sweat out of his eyes. Glancing through the
customary mirror, he saw a narrow passage down which a man was walking.
"Hold it!" he said. He waited until the serf was passing the mirror,
touched the switch. The panel slid aside. The serf jerked his head
around. Joel hit him in the temple with his clubbed fist.
The rebel smashed into the wall across the corridor. Before he could
fall, Joel grabbed him by the collar, hauled him into the passage. The
panel clicked shut.
"Jupiter!" Thorp breathed. "Did you kill him?"
"No. He's just stunned." Joel slapped the man's face, shook him.
The rebel opened his eyes, stared at Joel groggily. Then he let out a
yell, tried to heave himself to his feet.
Joel shoved him back to the floor. "Yell your head off. Nobody can hear
you."
The man stopped yelling. "What's the idea?" he demanded.
"Who's in charge here?"
"The Emperor."
"The Emperor?" Joel felt a tingle of excitement. "Who's he?"
"He's the Emperor. That's all I know. I never saw him before today."
Joel shook his fist under the fellow's nose.
"So help me!" the man said in a scared voice, "that's all I know!"
"Where is this Emperor?"
"He's in his rooms on the top floor."
"What have they done with the governor and his daughter, the chief of
police?"
"Don't hit me. I don't know. It's the gospel truth."