"Yeah." Watkin's face appeared before him. "Poor guy looks half dead."
Calvin blinked and made a try at speech, but nothing came out but a
flop-tongued drooling sound.
The two creatures remaining near them squatted down and observed them,
making fragmentary noises to each other. Watkins started to walk after
the third, which had escorted Mrs. Full across the wide room and was on
the point of making her get onto a low platform on which were a number
of structures of purple tubing and crimson boxes and varicolored small
contrivances. One of the pair flicked its goad across his path.
Villa said, "Come back, you foolish, do you think you can take that
stick?" He sounded furious, probably because he was afraid of the beasts
becoming enraged.
Calvin made a wracking effort to say, "Let him go," for surely they
couldn't stand callously by and see his wife undergo the Lord knew what
tortures; but the sound he made was unintelligible.
Watkins said, "Blast it, Viva, we don't know what the thing might do to
her."
"Come on back," said Summersby. "Do you want to get this?" He hefted the
limp Full.
Calvin writhed and managed to move his hands up and down.
"He's gaining," said Watkins, coming back.
"Those rods pack a wallop," said Adam. "What sort of power can they have
in 'em? Seems to me they're away beyond our science."
"They're not hitched to batteries," said Watkins. "Say, look at all this
machinery. If these animals built it, they're a pretty advanced race."
* * * * *
Mrs. Full was seated now on a large thing like a chrome-and-rubber
chair, one of those modern abominations which she and Calvin so
cordially detested. He could not see her face. The twelve-foot brute was
moving its fingers before her, evidently telling her to do something.
Calvin heard her say plaintively, "But what _is_ it?"
Summersby hoisted him up and about then feeling began to come back to
him with a sharp, unpleasant tingling of the skin. He said, "Help her!"
quite distinctly.
"Nothing's happening to her," said Watkins. "Take it easy."
Mrs. Full was apparently pulling levers and moving blocks of vividly
colored material back and forth on rods; like an abacus, thought her
husband.
Suddenly one of the other pair of creatures gave a cry, "Brrm hmmr!" and
pointed to the left. From a muddle of gear rose a small airship, orange,
with a nose like a spaceship and streamlined fins, and a square box on
its tail. It made no noise, but rose straight toward the ceiling, moving
slowly, jerkily.
His wife had her back to it. He heard her give an exasperated,
bewildered cry. "What on earth ... what are you _doing_?" She spoke to
the creature as if it understood. "I don't see why you--"
Calvin pushed free of Summersby. He could stand now, shakily. The beast
indicated a blue block on a vertical bar; Mrs. Full moved it down, the
airship halted and began to sail toward them. "Do you see the toy ship?"
called Calvin. "You're flying the ship!"
"Oh, my," she said helplessly. "What shall I do now?"
"This is crazy," said Watkins. "Absolutely crazy."
"Go on moving things," Calvin called to his wife. "Experiment. It wants
you to fly it." It occurred to him that this was too obvious to bother
stating. He must be distracted by weakness. He rubbed his tingling arms
and hands, hoping she wouldn't crash the ship. Villa and Adam Pierce
were calling encouragement to her as the orange thing drifted up and
down and sideways.
Now the twelve-foot being gestured briefly at a portion of the
apparatus, Mrs. Full caught his meaning and moved something, and the
ship tilted and flew along the wall without touching it. All three of
the creatures uttered sounds that might be taken for words of pleasure.
"Good girl!" yelled Watkins. "Keep it up!"
She turned to them and Calvin saw she was smiling. "There's really
nothing to it," she said. The airship bumped into the wall and fell. The
animal above her squawked and pressed down a lever, which evidently sent
out a beam or impulse that caught the ship in midair and held it
suspended. Then it grasped Mrs. Full and carried her, flailing her
limbs, over to the corner.
Calvin started forward, apprehensive.
"Hold it, Cal, you don't want another shock." Watkins took his arm.
The creature kicked aside a mound of small gadgets, sending them
helter-skelter, picked up what looked like a big five-legged stool and
set it on its feet. It was perhaps ten feet high. Then he deposited Mrs.
Full on its smooth round top and turned her bodily so that she faced the
wall.
"Help her!" snapped Calvin.
"We can't do a damn thing."
"Just wait a minute, sir," said Adam. "He's leaving her alone. I don't
think he'll hurt her."
She twisted her head around, looking frightened. Her legs hung over the
edge. The being strode back with its curious gawky-graceful walk, and
firmly turned her face to the wall again, using one big rubbery finger.
"Oh!" she said, in a small voice, and remained staring at the wall, like
a naughty child on a dunce's stool. The beast came over to the group.
* * * * *
The three talked among themselves, glancing at the men. The airship hung
on its invisible beam of energy, ignored. Mrs. Full patted up her hair.
She must be terrified, thought Calvin.
The three came to them, their skirts swishing like taffeta. They
knelt--it was an odd movement, their high-hipped legs angling to the
sides, their bodies slanting forward as their heads dropped toward the
humans--and stared at one and then another. The one who was evidently
the leader put out his green goad, but slowly, as if showing no harm was
intended, and pushed at Calvin's jacket. The ivory ball touched his
chest but no shock followed. The thing made noises, perhaps comparing
his clothing with its own.
"Take it off, Cal," said Watkins.
"Why?"
"He'd like to see it. Be friendly."
"That's it," agreed Adam, "be friendly."
He removed his jacket and handed it to the brute, who received it
dubiously, fingered it, exhibited it to the other two, and dropped it.
Calvin bent to pick it up; the goad barred his way. Two large fingers
plucked at his trousers. He felt himself flush with outrage.
"No!"