“—is better than life at Slah. Having seen for myself, I honestly think life at Fregwil is better than life at Slah. Having seen for myself, I honestly think—”
“They’re trying to condition him!” Albumarak burst out.
Silencing the farspeaker, Yull nodded gravely. “I can come to no other conclusion. Having had this gift from the sky drop into their claws, seeing the chance of a propaganda victory over us whom they regard as their rivals, Quelf and her colleagues set out to force poor Karg into such a state of permanent dreamness that when they eventually decided to let him appear in public again he would renounce his former allegiance. Luckily, as is evidenced by the fact that after so long they are still having to force one simple sentence into his memory, this is so transparent an untruth that even in his weakened state he continues to reject their dishonest overtures.”
“Untruth?” bellowed Quelf. “What’s untrue is what you are saying!”
“Really?” Yull turned an icy gaze on her. “How, then, about the statement ‘having seen for myself? What of Fregwil have you permitted Karg to see? The inside of a healing-house bower, correct?”
“That’s exactly what I was thinking!” One of the visitors thrust forward. “I’m Yaxon, merchant from Heybrol! I came here to buy nervograp specifications—never mind that—and I know a conditioning program when I hear one! But I thought they’d been made illegal!”
She was echoed by an angry mumble from the others.
“In civilized cities,” Yull murmured, “yes, they have!”
Having closed on Quelf, the company now drew back, as though from something emitting a noxious stench. The professor uttered a faint whimper, looking about her for support. None was forthcoming; even her students regarded her with sudden loathing.
“Albumarak,” Yull said, returning the farspeaker to Omber’s bag, “show us the way to Karg’s bower.”
They all went, exuding such a reek of fury that no one dared gainsay them. There they found him, comfortable enough to be sure in a luxurious crotch padded with the best of mosh, with a nursh in attendance to change the cleanlickers on his frostbitten pad, and with plenty to eat and drink … but dazed, and totally unable to escape the message repeated and repeated by recordimals either side of him. When one grew fatigued the other took over automatically; the programming was impeccable, and— as Albumarak abruptly realized with a renewed access of horror— that meant it had almost certainly been prepared by Quelf in person.
She rushed forward, snatched up both of them, and hurled them out of the bower, careless of the fact that their passage slashed great gaps in the protective spuder-webs which filtered incoming air of not only wingets but microorganisms.
“And now,” said Yull with satisfaction, after checking Karg and finding him in good physical condition, at least, “we can arrange for this poor fellow to regain his normal senses. I understand that Quelf is only a research professor here. Who is the actual director? I require to speak with her at once!”
Her voice rang out like thunder, and one might have sworn that it altered the air-pressure like an actual storm.
The frightened nursh quavered, “I’ll go find her!”
“Does she know about this?” Yull demanded.
“N-no! I’m sure she doesn’t! We have at least eight-score folk in here at any given time, so she—”
“Then she’s unfit to occupy her post, and I shall tell her so the moment she arrives! Fetch her, and fetch her now!”
VI
“What’s going to happen to Quelf?” Omber asked. Recriminations had continued all day, and would doubtless resume next bright, but by nightfall everyone was tired of arguing and moreover hungry. The city officials had agreed to arrange for immediate recovery of the space-cylinder, and promised to announce in the morning what other compensation they would offer for Karg’s mistreatment. The Slah delegation regarded that as acceptable.
As to Quelf, she had fled the healing-house in unbearable humiliation. Her last message as she mounted her scudder and made for home had been relayed to Albumarak: “Tell that misbudded traitor not to expect any more help from me!”
So there went her future, wiped away by a single well-intentioned decision … but how could she possibly have acted otherwise and lived with herself afterwards? Wearily she summoned the energy to answer Omber as they and Yull left the university precincts under a blustery autumn sky.