"Then he's more than a menace. He's a devil!"
"So what? We've appealed to Gerd Lel Rayne. And what did he say?
He said that we should hang tight because Wanniston was headed for
trouble."
"Do we wait until we are all dead before it happens?" snapped Wilks.
"I'm no prophet," growled Conan. "I know this. We're licked. Or is this
any good. Can we run him out?"
"How?"
"Superman he may be. Superior to even Gerd Lel Rayne--Sorry, Lel
Rayne," he said, seeing the emissary as Gerd opened the door. "You
heard?"
Gerd nodded pleasantly. "Wanniston's intellect has increased. A fatal
illness. He does not recognize it, nor would he believe it if he
were told. Yet it is so; Wanniston's illness has caused an increase
in the acuity of the brain, a definite increase in the intelligence
quotient. He is quite capable of out-thinking any of you--of us, pardon
me. I feel no self-reproach, though. I," and Gerd Lel Rayne laughed
heartily--too heartily, though the Terrans did not know it, "have known
men of my race who were superior to me, and have no animosity as long
as I am well fitted to my position, and can do my job well, better than
many others. I may not advance above my present level, yet I can be
emissary to Terra where the bulk of my race would find it against their
liking."
"Well, suppose you tell us what to do?"
"I don't know," admitted Gerd. "Isolate him. Can you do that?"
"No. He has a finger in every man's business here. We can do nothing
unless he is permitted to pass on it. Furthermore, he will find it out
in time to circumvent us if we try to operate without his approval. We
do that and we land in jail, our life's ambitions stripped from us and
dropped into his hands like a ripe plum."
"I know," said Gerd. "I know."
"He's your mental superior too?" asked Wilks uncertainly.
Gerd nodded. "I can try, though. My mental superior he may be, but I am
possessed of the knowledge of certain arts of which he knows nothing.
That is the heritage of my race: the things I played with as a child. I
still ... occasionally ... like to play--"
* * * * *
Wanniston entered the basement workshop of Gerd Lel Rayne and watched
while the emissary made adjustments on a bit of complex apparatus.
"Tricky gadget," said Wanniston.
"It is that."
"Energy collector--director, converter," said Wanniston. "You're about
to release the secret of galactic power?"
"No, I was just tinkering," said Gerd. "I have no intention of telling
Terra about it."
"I know about it now."
"You'd tell them?"
"You know better than that."
"Well?"
Wanniston grinned.
And then before he could say more, Gaya came to the workshop room
with a group of policemen. "Gerd," she said, "they want to speak to
Wanniston."
"Come ahead," called the financier.
"John Wanniston, I arrest you for the crime of murder. I warn you that
any statements will be considered evidence."
"Murder? Me? Utterly fantastic!"
The police lieutenant smiled quietly. "We'll have to ask you to come
with us."
"I've murdered who?"
"You'll find out. I may say nothing."
"I've murdered no one!"
"That is for the State to decide--the State and a jury of twelve good
men and true."
"Judged by those who hate me? Why should I go?"
"Wanniston, you're a smart man. You must certainly know the implication
of any rash move."
"But I'm innocent. Gerd--?"
"I can do nothing. If this is false, you can prove it simply enough.
If it is true ... but why should it be true? You are a smart man,
Wanniston. You can get anything you want without murder. That should
be considered. I'll help, Wanniston, but remember, as emissary of the
Galactic Ones, I must not interfere."
"Removed like a common criminal. I warn you, Lieutenant Alfred, that
this is utterly false and I shall have compensation. I am both capable
and willing to make you and all others pay for this outrage."
"You'll submit to a lie-detector test?"
"Certainly. I'll take it. I have committed no crime. I have murdered no
one!"
Wanniston looked at Gerd Lel Rayne. Gerd shrugged. Wanniston's
intellect was most certainly capable of telling the lie detector a
lie and making the insensate machine believe it true. Gerd knew that
Wanniston knew that--and Wanniston knew that Gerd knew it also. But
Gerd was intelligent enough to know that Wanniston was smart enough to
avoid murder or running afoul of any man-made law. Any killing would
have come up immediately, and the evidence would be natural and honesty
a matter of self-defense.
Wanniston was no fool.
They brought in the lie detector and Wanniston slipped the headset on,
and grasped the handles.