"No," Buck's tone was somber, "that I agree to, younger brother. These
are not men as we know them, and I do not think they would be good
_dalaanbiyat'i_--allies. They had _go'ndi_ in plenty, these star men,
but it is not the power of the People. No one but a madman or a fool
would try to disturb this sleep of theirs."
"The truth you speak," Jil-Lee agreed. "But where in this," he turned
his shoulder to the sleeping star men and looked back at the filled
chamber--"do we find anything which will serve us here and now?"
Again Travis had only the scrappiest information to draw upon. "Spread
out," he told them. "Look for the marking of a circle surrounding four
dots set in a diamond pattern."
They went, but Travis lingered for a moment to look once more into the
bleak and bitter eyes of the star men. How many planet years ago had
they sealed themselves into those boxes? A thousand, ten thousand? Their
empire was long gone, yet here was an outpost still waiting to be
revived to carry on its mysterious duties. It was as if in Saxon-invaded
Britain long ago a Roman garrison had been frozen to await the return of
the legions. Buck was right; there was no common ground today between
Terran man and these unknowns. They must continue to sleep undisturbed.
Yet when Travis also turned away and went back down the aisle, he was
still aware of a persistent pull on him to return. It was as though
those eyes had set locking cords to will him back to release the
sleepers. He was glad to turn a corner, to know that they could no
longer watch him plunder their treasury.
"Here!" That was Buck's voice, but it echoed so oddly across the big
chamber that Travis had difficulty in deciding what part of the
warehouse it was coming from. And Buck had to call several times before
Travis and Jil-Lee joined him.
There was the circle-dot-diamond symbol shining on the side of a case.
They worked it out of the pile, setting it in the open. Travis knelt to
run his hands along the top. The container was an unknown alloy, tough,
unmarked by the years--perhaps indestructible.
Again his fingers located what his eyes could not detect--the
impressions on the edge, oddly shaped impressions into which his finger
tips did not fit too comfortably. He pressed, bearing down with the full
strength of his arms and shoulders, and then lifted up the lid.
The Apaches looked into a set of compartments, each holding an object
with a barrel, a hand grip, a general resemblance to the sidearms of
their own world and time, but sufficiently different to point up the
essential strangeness. With infinite care Travis worked one out of the
vise-support which held it. The weapon was light in weight, lighter than
any automatic he had ever held. Its barrel was long, a good eighteen
inches--the grip alien in shape so that it didn't fit comfortably into
his hand, the trigger nonexistent, but in its place a button on the
lower part of the barrel which could be covered by an outstretched
finger.
"What does it do?" asked Buck practically.
"I'm not sure. But it is important enough to have a special mention on
the tape." Travis passed the weapon along to Buck and worked another
loose from its holder.
"No way of loading I can see," Buck said, examining the weapon with care
and caution.
"I don't think it fires a solid projectile," Travis replied. "We'll have
to test them outside to find out just what we do have."
The Apaches took only three of the weapons, closing the box before they
left. And as they wriggled back through the crack door, Travis was
visited again by that odd flash of compelling, almost possessive power
he had experienced when they had lain in ambush for the Red hunting
party. He took a step or two forward until he was able to catch the edge
of the reading table and steady himself against it.
"What is the matter?" Both Buck and Jil-Lee were watching him;
apparently neither had felt that sensation. Travis did not reply for a
second. He was free of it now. But he was sure of its source; it had not
been any backlash of the Red caller! It was rooted here--a compulsion
triggered to make the original intentions of the outpost obeyed, a last
drag from the sleepers. This place had been set up with a single
purpose: to protect and preserve the ancient rulers of Topaz. And
perhaps the very presence here of the intruding Terrans had released a
force, started an unseen installation.