The next morning Hanlon was told to take two cavals out to the mounting
block, for Adwal Irad was to ride with the Ruler that day. As the two
men came out of the residence and Hanlon got his first good look at
the Second-In-Line for some time, he was thunderstruck at the man's
appearance--it was so changed from when he had seen him the other times.
Irad's face was drawn and the red of his skin was an unhealthy hue.
Deep lines were beginning to show in his face, the eyes were so dim and
lack-lustre, the mouth so drawn, that Hanlon wondered if Irad was ill,
or had been these past few days.
For the one who had passed highest in all his tests from among those
eligible in his generation as to knowledge and fitness for the position
of Second-In-Line, and successor to the Rulership, such a breakdown
seemed incredible.
Hanlon invaded Irad's mind to see if he could learn why all this was.
But at first touch there seemed something wrong with it ... as though
there was a block or barrier there in that mind unlike any he had ever
before found. It seemed even worse than it had been before when he had
tested that mind--and he wondered anew what it could possibly be. He
could still read Irad's surface thoughts, but the "feel" of the man's
mind was different and disturbing.
Hanlon's mind-scanning, however, was just in time to catch the partial
thought, "... this the fellow? He'll bear watching."
It was not much to go on, but Hanlon instantly became more alert. "What
in Snyder's name does that mean?" he asked himself. "Wish I had some
way of watching this bozo when he isn't around me."
But he did not know of any way it could be done, for he could not very
well leave the palace grounds while he was working here as a groom, to
spy in person upon Irad's coming and goings, and he knew of no animal
or bird kept in the home of the Second-In-Line.
"Wonder what became of Ebony?" Hanlon thought parenthetically. "Hope he
found a way to get out of Yandor's house, and that he has a new, good
home."
And this brought up the sternly-repressed memory of his father. Oh,
how he wanted to drop everything and go hunt for his dad. But he had
already thought the matter through, and knew his duty kept him at his
work--work that was far more important than one man's liberty. Yes, his
mind knew that, but his heart did not.
But Hanlon could and did keep in touch with the two men through the
minds of their cavals as they rode that morning, even as he returned to
his work in the stables.
And it was well he did so. For hardly were they outside the gates when
Irad began again to argue against Estrella's joining the Federation.
But today his so-called evidence met stiffer opposition than formerly.
For the Ruler had been thinking more seriously than before, and was
studying what Irad said with that in mind.
The things Hanlon--as Lona, the groom--had said had been disturbing. At
first Amir had been tempted to dismiss them as ridiculous, even though
they more or less echoed what his own son, Inver, had told him. But
that damning notebook and its entries was something the Ruler could
not dismiss, nor the reports and comments of his life-long friend and
respected secretary. He was still undecided--but he was no longer to
be duped by sincere-seeming words.
Now, as the two men rode along, Amir was remembering those things and
judging each statement Irad made with what he had heard.
And SSM George Hanlon, "listening in" via the minds and senses of the
two cavals he was controlling, shivered a bit in the distant stables.
He felt a premonition ... but could not deduce what, nor how, nor even
if. But he determined to keep closer watch than ever, and so tightened
his control of the two steeds cantering along that dusty road several
miles away.
As he had found he was able to do, the portions of his mind in each of
the animals was, in a large sense, complete and able to act of and by
itself. Yet both portions were connected with each other, and with the
balance of his mind in his own brain, by a thin thread of consciousness.
He had never quite gotten used to the sensation of apparently being
in several places at the same time--of being several distinct
individualities. He still remembered the thrill he had known when it
was first demonstrated, and the times it had saved him. Yet it was a
weird feeling, even though he had found how wonderfully it could and
did help him in the important work assigned him by the secret service
high command.
Only a few minutes later, however, he was glad he had the power. The
Ruler and Irad were passing a small wood, when suddenly several other
cavalmen came racing from it, and surrounded them. Two of the new
men--all of whom were masked--caught the bridles of the two animals
from the residence, and halted them abruptly.
"What is the meaning of this?" Elus Amir cried imperiously, apparently
more angry than frightened.
But Hanlon, so far distant he could not possibly get to the place
personally, in time to be of any help, was worried and scared. This
attack had all the earmarks of assassination and, knowing what he knew,
he was sure it was intended as such.
He must do something, but quick.
Dropping his pitchfork, he raced into the tackroom where he knew
there was a cot. Throwing his body down on this, he sent all the
remainder of his mind out to contact and control the cavals of the
newcomers--working outward from the two he was already controlling that
were at the scene.
He did not have mind enough to fully take over all of them at once, for
cavals had potentially much mind-power, and four or five could absorb
all his.
However, by temporarily dropping control of Amir's animal, he was able
to take over enough regulation to overcome the commands of the riders.
He made the horses of four of the assassins, those holding flameguns,
rear back and begin fighting their riders. They pitched and bucked and
shortly started dashing off on a wild runaway gallop across the meadow,
in different directions. He impressed on each caval's mind as well as
he could that it must keep on running, no matter what was done to stop
it.
Then he wrenched control from their minds and sent it into the other
four animals. He found he was just in time. One of the men, who had
been holding Amir's caval--Hanlon could see through its eyes--was
drawing his flamegun.
Hanlon made this caval rear suddenly, pitching the man off onto the
road. The animal swivelled about while in the air and landed its heavy
feet on the prone body. It kicked and pawed the helpless gangster until
there was nothing left but a battered and bloody mass.
The remaining attacker's caval was, meanwhile, racing off across the
meadow in much the same runaway fashion as the ones that had preceded
it. When it was well away, Hanlon withdrew control.
Meanwhile, he had been watching carefully through the eyes and ears of
the two steeds that bore the Ruler and the Second-In-Line, what they
were doing and saying.
Through Irad's mount he could see the look of surprise and fright that
had come upon the Ruler's face. Fright, Hanlon rightly guessed, at
Amir's near approach to death, surprise that the attack had been made
at all, and especially at the unbelievable manner of his deliverance.
"What could possibly have made all those cavals start running away just
at the crucial moment?" he asked Irad, whom he did not yet suspect.
"And even more amazing, the way that one threw and then so savagely
killed its rider, yet is now standing quietly there, munching grass at
the roadside?"
But both Amir, and Hanlon--who saw it through the Ruler's caval's
eyes--saw the look of hatred and rage that came onto the face of
the Second-In-Line, giving it almost the appearance of a completely
different person. Amir was so shocked by it that for a moment he could
not speak--could only stare in open-mouthed amazement. Hanlon too was
startled, momentarily failing to watch the actions of Irad.
And in that instant the conspirator tried to act. From a hidden pocket
in his clothing he drew a flamer, and aimed it at the Ruler.
"Maybe this will spoil my plans," he snarled, "but by Zappa, you die
anyway."
But even as he was speaking, and while he was pressing the stud in the
gun's handle, Hanlon snapped himself into awareness, and made Irad's
mount rear back and wheel on its hind legs, while at the same time he
forced the Ruler's caval to dodge to one side.
But he was not quick enough. There was a flash of flame, a stench of
burning cloth and flesh, and a hastily-suppressed groan, all clearly
apparent through the cavals' senses, that told the distant Hanlon that
Amir had been hit. He felt the Ruler reel in his saddle, and hoped the
blast was not fatal.
But he had no time then save for an incidental inspection, despite the
abilities of his divided mind. For he was intent on trying to make
Irad's caval unseat its rider, so that he might have the beast trample
the conspirator. Even so he could feel Amir--through the senses of the
steed the Ruler was riding--clutch the pommel with both hands to hold
himself on his mount's back.
But Adwal Irad was an excellent cavalman. He managed to keep his seat,
but was too busy with this either to look to see if his shot had killed
his Ruler, or to fire another. In a moment he had to drop the gun,
anyway, in order to use both hands in trying to quiet the raging animal
beneath him.
For the caval was rearing, bucking, sun-fishing--every unusual maneuver
Hanlon's agile mind was able to make it perform. It did things no
caval, and no Estrellan, had ever heard of before. Through its mind
Hanlon could feel the cruel whipping Irad was giving it, and this made
both Hanlon and the beast--never more than half-tame at best--viciously
angry and more determined than ever to get rid of the burden.
Realizing at last that he could not unseat so skillful a rider, Hanlon
changed his tactics. He made the caval start off on a dead run--but
into the woods, not across the meadow as the others had done. "Maybe it
will run under a low branch and knock Irad off his back," he hoped.
But he was worried about Amir, and turned most of his mind back to
seeing how the Ruler was faring. He knew the man was still astride, and
with part of his mind he could read pain, but knew Amir was not fatally
injured. Hanlon made his mount turn back toward the residence, and at
its gentlest speed hasten back until he saw the servants come running
out to take care of their master.
Knowing the Ruler was now in safe hands, Hanlon was free to think of
his own situation.
He opened his eyes ... and stared with growing astonishment at totally
unfamiliar surroundings.
Jerkily he sat up on the bunk on which his body was now lying. His eyes
roved about the small, stone-walled room, trying to figure out where he
was ... and why.
He had gone into the familiar tackroom of the stables, he knew, to lie
down on the cot there while he sent all of his mind out of his body to
contact and control the cavals of the would-be assassins. He guessed
he had been "gone" for about half an hour. What had happened in the
meantime?
He got up and went across the small room to a heavy wooden door, which
he found to be locked. He had to stand on tiptoes to look through the
small, barred window in it. But his only view was of a narrow corridor,
on the other side of which was another' stone wall containing, in the
limited portions he could see to either side, three doors similar to
the one behind which he was confined.
"Looks like I'm in the _juzgado_," he grimaced. "Wonder why, and how?"
He called out, in hopes someone would come and explain. But repeated
calls brought no one, nor any response from the other cells. "Must be
no one else here," he thought, and went back to lie down on the bunk.
There he used his special talents, sending his mind outside and hunting
for some bird or animal through whose eyes he could try to discover
where he was.
He finally contacted a bird, and soon discovered he was in a small
stone building at one of the farther corners of the residential
grounds. There did not seem to be any guards hanging about the outside.
Hanlon made the bird fly up and hover near one of the windows, and peer
inside. No one there, either, nor any to be seen through either of the
other windows that opened to the outer wall.
He sent the bird higher until he could see the entire palace grounds
and thus orient himself. Then he flew it to the stables.
Endar was talking to two other grooms, and seemed in high spirits. As
the bird found a perch close to the little group he heard Endar saying,
"... drunk, so I had the guards arrest him."
"Never knew he drank," one of the stablemen said.
"I was surprised, myself, but he was dead to the world, and I couldn't
rouse him."
But Hanlon could detect, in the man's voice and attitude, that Endar
felt he had achieved his revenge for all the fancied wrongs Hanlon (as
Lona) had done or contemplated doing to him.
Satisfied for the time being, although not too happy at the situation
in which he found himself, Hanlon withdrew his mind from the bird, and
twisted his body into a more comfortable position on the bunk. There
was so much he had to think about, and now that he was undisturbed was
a splendid time.
He felt confident that the Ruler, Elus Amir, knew the truth about Adwal
Irad and the conspiracy, and would no longer hesitate about joining the
Federation.
"He might, though, at that," Hanlon thought seriously. "Especially
if he happens to get it into his noggin that we Terrans were back of
all that has happened. It's a dirty shame he doesn't understand us
better--or that we don't know their ways of thinking better. But then,
that's the cause of half the troubles between individuals, nations,
races and worlds--they simply don't understand the basic motivations
of the other fellow. But about Amir--I wonder if now isn't the time
to prod him a bit? If--or as soon as--I get out of here, I'll try
someway to get in touch with the Federation, and suggest we have the
ambassadors come back and talk to him again. He ought to be ripe now."
It was only after some time that he remembered to wonder if Irad had
been hurt or killed by his runaway caval. "I should have stayed in its
mind until I knew if he got home or what."
Hanlon again sought out a bird, and when he was in control of its
mind, sent it winging across the roofs and the country-side to the home
of the Second-In-Line. When it got there, nothing could be seen to
indicate that anyone was at home, nor was anyone visible when the bird
peered through each of the windows.
Hanlon perched the bird on a tree-limb while he thought seriously for
some moments. Then he sent the bird on the Ovil Esbor's house. "Maybe I
can pick up a clue there."
But, as soon as the bird started looking through windows, Hanlon knew
he had uncovered more than a clue. For Irad was there, talking to three
or four men.
Hanlon wanted very much to hear their conversation. But how? The bird
hunted in vain, but could find no open door or window by which it could
enter. Nor were there open chimneys as are so common on Terran worlds,
for the Estrellans covered their smoke-and-fume vents with fine screens.
Hanlon made the bird perch on a tree-limb and go to sleep. Then he
sent that portion of his mind from its brain, seeking some small
animal, rodent or insect inside the house. He finally found one of
their rat-things in its hole beneath the foundation. He took over its
mind, wincing as he did so at the vicious, stark ferocity there. But he
made it scamper through the walls until it came to the room where the
conspirators were talking. The rat had already gnawed an entrance hole
through the bottom of the wall there, and Hanlon had it crouch just
inside, listening.
It took him only a few seconds to realize that the angry Irad must have
told the others about their strange fiasco that morning, and that they
were planning how they could finish the thing they had started.
"I don't dare go back to the palace, myself, for some time, at least,"
Irad scowled blackly. "I lost my head and gave the whole thing away
back there, I know. Came right out and told Amir I was going to kill
him. Who'd have guessed those fool cavals would act the way they did?"
"There's something mighty funny about that, Adwal," one of the men
said in a puzzled tone that almost contained a hint of accusation.
"One caval could quite easily have become frightened at something, or
taken it into its silly head to bolt. You never can tame or train 'em
completely. But you said all of your group did the same thing. That
just doesn't sound right to me. What made them do it, just at the wrong
time, and spoil your plans?"
Hanlon could hear the Second-In-Line laugh sneeringly. "You suggesting
magic of some sort, Ovil?"
"I'm not suggesting anything--I'm just asking," and now the man's voice
carried even more of suspicion and accusation. "It all sounds mighty
strange and unbelievable to me. We'd like to know more about it."
There was a dangerous sharpness in Adwal Irad's voice. "Are you
questioning the truth of my report, Esbor?"
"I'm not doubting you ... yet. But there's something going on here
that looks peculiar, to say the least, and we want to know all about
it. That assassination was planned so carefully. And all the men with
you were good riders. It just doesn't seem possible that all of them
should have lost control of their cavals at exactly the same time. And
that business about the animal Yllo was riding--throwing him and then
killing him, as you reported."
Hanlon, through the rat's ears, could hear the other men muttering
agreement to this.
Irad sprang to his feet, his voice shrill. "You calling me a liar,
Esbor?"
"Not exactly, but I do think we deserve a better explanation of your
failure than that silly story. We're all in this, too, and our lives
are more at stake than yours, since you're Second...."
"You won't have to worry about your life any more," Irad screamed, and
almost too swiftly to follow he yanked out his flamegun and cindered
the politician's body before any of the others could object or stop
him. As the man's body--what was left of it--fell to the floor, Irad
swung his gun about menacingly, covering the others, who had risen in
fright.
"Any of the rest of you phidis want to call me a liar?" he rasped.
"No, of course not, Adwal," one of them spoke in a placating manner.
"We've never doubted you."
"Anybody with any sense could figure out that you really tried to kill
Amir," another said. "Why, look. You're the one who started all this,
and you sure wouldn't have worked so hard, or spent so much on this
campaign, if you hadn't intended going through with it."
"That's right. What happened was just some tough luck. And Esbor was
getting ideas that were bigger than he was. So let's forget what's
passed, and settle down to planning something else, and making sure
it's fool-proof this time."
But Hanlon, disgusted as he was at the way they truckled to Irad,
afraid of their skins, touched their minds and read the wonder they
felt as to what had so changed Irad this past year. He had always been
ambitious and, since being designated Second-In-Line, somewhat inclined
to be dictatorial and overbearing.
But, their puzzled thoughts said, he had never been vicious, or
displayed the killing instinct he was now showing. Too, his looks, his
aging, worried them. They shook their heads with anxiety, as they began
making new plans.