"That's what I intend to get, somehow," Pearce said. He studied me
again. "What about you, Farris? What's your ambition?"
"Financial independence, mainly. There are certain ideas that I'd like
to work on. I'd never get the time or the money while earning a living
as assistant to a man like Durwent."
"Then this might be the chance we both need. If we could turn up
something valuable, like the Mars explorers did...." Pearce nibbled
his lip, frowning intently over the thought. Abruptly he grabbed my
arm. "Farris, we've got to find something! Look--suppose we forget
the scientific side of the expedition? Suppose we make it an outright
treasure hunt?"
"Venus is big," I said doubtfully. "And our supplies won't last
forever. If we fail to find anything, the scientific data we'd gather
would give us something to capitalize on."
We didn't discuss the matter further, for just then Sandley returned
from one of his photographing jaunts. He seemed greatly excited.
"Just discovered a new form of life," he announced triumphantly. "Saw
the creatures at a distance, but from what I was able to make out, they
look something like overgrown butterflies. Had large, brightly colored
wings, anyway. Have to catch a specimen." Sandley's spectacled, owlish
features turned puzzled. "Can't understand why I haven't noticed the
creatures before. Seem to have appeared only recently."
"Where were you?" Pearce asked.
"Near the upper end of the valley. It's rocky there, with lots of ore
outcroppings. Might contain valuable elements. You fellows ought to go
with me next time."
"We'll do that," Pearce said. He glanced at me significantly.
We went with Sandley the following day. We took along our
machine-pistols, a few pieces of light equipment, and some food.
Sandley, of course, had his camera. It was the first time that Pearce
and I had gone any great distance from the ship, and we were more than
ordinarily uneasy. But the possibility that we might discover ores or
minerals of value was too tempting to resist.
We moved through a deep quiet, broken only by occasional twitters or
trills. We caught frequent glimpses of the creatures emitting the
sounds as they fluttered among the branches of the vivid, unearthly
trees. They resembled birds in a way, having feathered wings, but their
bodies were lizard-like and covered with bright, rainbow-hued scales.
And several times animals bounded from our path that looked like
nothing so much as tiny deer. These seemed to be quite numerous.
The vegetation gradually thinned out as the ground became increasingly
rocky. Ahead of us loomed the rugged, precipitous ascent of the
valley's upper end.
Sandley stopped, peering about him. "This is the place." Abruptly he
pointed. "There--the butterfly-creatures! See them?"
Pearce and I followed the direction of his finger. Against the mottled
gray wall of the ascent, a number of bright shapes fluttered. As we
watched, they drifted slowly toward us, circling aimlessly. We were
able presently to see them in clearer detail. I stared as a realization
of something strange struck into me. I heard Pearce gasp.
For the butterfly-creatures were not insects, or anything even remotely
resembling them. Nor were they a strange form of animal life. They were
_things_, utterly alien and weird.
* * * * *
Imagine large, irregularly-shaped pieces of thin paper fluttering
through the air, each being creased in the middle, the two halves
flapping like the wings of a butterfly. The things were remarkably like
that. But they were alive in some incredible way, and their actions
seemed purposeful, directed. They looked delicate and fragile, almost
unsubstantial, mere veils of prismatic light. And they possessed a
bizarre, unearthly beauty. As they circled high overhead, occasionally
dipping toward us in what might have been curiosity, their wings
shimmered and pulsed in a hypnotic play of rainbow color.
The butterfly-creatures--to call them that for want of a better
name--did not come near us. They continued to spiral high overhead, as
though we at once attracted and puzzled them.
Sandley unlimbered his camera and began taking pictures of the things.
Pearce and I, recalling the motive that had brought us there, gradually
moved away, searching the ground for promising bits of rock and
crystal. We were intent on our quest, and wandered quite a distance.
Before long, we found ourselves among the tumbled boulders at the foot
of the ascent.
As I searched the rocky debris between the boulders, a reddish glitter
caught my eye. It came from a small crystalline object half hidden
in the gravel. I bent curiously to pick it up--and a thrill of
incredulous delight flashed through me. For the object was a great
jewel, roughly oval, faceted, and a deep ruby red. It was exquisitely
beautiful, yet totally unlike anything that had ever been found on
Earth. It did not just reflect light, but glowed with a soft, steady
radiance of its own. Glorious rose and scarlet shades pulsed and
swirled within it, in a never-ending play of patterns and hues that was
fascinating to watch.
I held the gem in my hand for a long moment, staring at it, a little
numbed. My find seemed much too good to be true. It was almost as if a
kindly god had granted a hopeless wish.
I thought suddenly of Pearce, and motion returned to me. Pearce had
moved some distance up the ascent. It took a moment to locate him
behind the boulders which had hidden him from view.
Pearce was bending over in an intent scrutiny of the ground. As he
caught the sound of my approach, he straightened sharply and one of his
hands flashed behind his back as though to hide something from view. I
was too wrapped up in the news of my discovery, however, to pay much
attention to his actions just then.
"Look at what I've found," I told him, holding out the gem in my palm.
Pearce failed to look surprised. He grinned in an embarrassed sort of
way, and brought his hand from behind his back. Cupped within it were
two gems similar to mine.
"Found a couple myself," he said. "I was so excited that I must have
forgotten where I was. When I heard you coming, my first thought was to
hide them."
It seemed a strangely weak explanation. I realized that Pearce's
consuming desire for financial gain had warped his sense of ethics.
His action of a moment before had been nothing more or less than a
conscious, deliberate effort to conceal his find. He had abandoned
secrecy only after he knew that I had made an identical discovery.
I made a mental note to be on guard. Pearce had given sufficient
indication that he would not play entirely fair in the future.
He grinned eagerly in what might have been an attempt to cover up the
awkwardness of the situation. "Farris, these gems are going to bring
money back on Earth. They're unusual, not like the ordinary kinds
brought back by the Mars explorers."
I shrugged. "The money won't be enough to do us much good unless we can
find more of the gems. Remember, any profits we make have to be split
four ways, counting Sandley and Durwent."
"I'm certain that we'll find more," Pearce said. "I've found two,
and you one. If that's any indication, there should be a lot of them
scattered around. Come on, Farris, let's look."
I nodded in renewed eagerness, and we began the search. A disinterested
observer might have found our actions comical as we probed with
anxious, almost frantic, haste among the boulders. It didn't seem funny
to us, of course. We had speculated more or less constantly during the
entire voyage over the possibility of locating a source of wealth on
Venus, and this was our chance. No, it wasn't funny at all. It was very
real, and clear, and logical.
I don't know how much time passed. I was too absorbed in my search to
pay much heed to anything else.
At intervals, I found three more gems. Each find came at a point when I
was about ready to give up, spurring me on to new efforts. I might have
continued indefinitely if Pearce hadn't suddenly called my name.
His voice was tense, insistent. Something important seemed to have
happened.
* * * * *
When I rejoined Pearce, he pointed silently down the ascent, in
the direction from which we had come. His features were startled,
bewildered, a little frightened. My own face must have registered
similar feelings at what I saw.
Beyond the boulders at the foot of the ascent, one of the tiny
deer-like animals that we frequently saw lay sprawled on the ground.
Several butterfly-creatures rested motionlessly upon its body. A
short distance away stood another of the deer-like animals, literally
surrounded by the butterfly things. It was as still as though
frozen, its great eyes distended and staring. And the wings of the
butterfly-creatures hovering about it were moving in a slow, hypnotic
rhythm. I thought of the snakes of Earth which captured birds by
charming them through similar movements, and realized that somewhat the
same thing was happening here.
As I watched, the deer-like animal abruptly fell on its side and lay
without moving. Like vultures swooping down on a victim, the butterfly
things settled upon it. They seemed in some obscure way to be ...
_feeding_.
I glanced in consternation at Pearce. "What do you suppose it's all
about?"
He moved his shoulders uneasily. "I don't know any more than you do.
But I think we'd better look into this. And it might not be wise to let
those things get too close."
Presently, the butterfly-creatures rose once more into the air and
fluttered away. The deer-like animals, though, lay very still.
Pearce gestured, and I followed him to the scene. Only a short
examination of the two deer-like animals was necessary to show what had
happened to them. They were dead. There wasn't so much as a mark upon
the sleek skin of their bodies--but they were dead.
Pearce and I stared at each other. And then a chilling thought struck
me.
"Sandley!" I gasped. "We haven't heard anything from him for hours. Do
you suppose...?"
Pearce didn't answer. He turned and began running toward where we had
last seen Sandley. I hurried after him, anxiety a sick ache inside me.
Slipping and sliding over loose rocks and gravel, we at last emerged
from behind the line of tumbled boulders and reached level ground. We
didn't see Sandley at once. He had obviously moved from where we had
left him. Then I noticed a small cloud of butterfly-creatures hovering
over something on the ground about a hundred yards or so down the
boulder line. An outstretched leg, all that was visible to us from
where we stood, provided identification. It was Sandley.
Heedless of danger, Pearce and I rushed forward. When we reached
Sandley, the last of what must originally have been a horde of
butterfly-creatures was leaving his motionless form. We were too late.
Our terrible knowledge hadn't come soon enough.
In an abrupt, overwhelming fury, I pointed my machine-pistol at the
fluttering demons and sent a stream of pellets into their midst. The
force of the barrage would have cut a man in two, but the things didn't
seem to be affected in the slightest way. The pellets went through them
as though they were no more solid than shadows.
* * * * *
The things made no move toward Pearce and myself, but continued to
circle aimlessly overhead. They seemed too sated from whatever ghastly
feast they had made upon Sandley to be interested in us just then.
Having made certain of this, Pearce and I performed a quick examination
of Sandley, which confirmed what we already knew--that he was dead. And
there wasn't a mark upon him.
Keeping a close watch upon the butterfly things, Pearce and I gave
Sandley a hasty burial. Then I wrapped his belongings in my shirt, and
together Pearce and I ran back to the ship. It wasn't until the port
had been shut behind us that I felt safe.
I prepared a light meal, which Pearce and I ate in brooding silence.
Finally Pearce said, "What I can't understand is why the butterfly
things should have attacked Sandley. It isn't logical for the life
forms of one world to prey upon the life forms of another. There are
too many differences."
"I've been thinking about that myself," I answered. "The solution
seems to be that the butterfly-creatures feed upon something common to
all life forms--the mysterious electrical force that gives matter the
peculiar property of being alive."
Pearce shrugged, and after a moment his face brightened. "Anyway, we
now have one less to divide with." He reached into a pocket, placing
upon the table seven of the large crimson gems. I added the four that I
had found, and for some seconds we gazed dreamily at our hoard.
"People on Earth are going to fight like mad to own one of these gems,"
Pearce said softly. "By selling the gems slowly, playing one buyer
against another, our profits will be plenty big."
I nodded. "It won't make us very popular, but the end justifies the
means."
"I wish we had some means of protection against those butterfly things,
so that we could look for more of the gems," Pearce said. "They're
dangerous, and we don't seem to be able to harm them."
"We could move the ship over to the ascent," I suggested. "Then it
would be near enough for us to jump in whenever any of the things got
too close."