The Dark Design by Phillip Jose Farmer

Sam Clemens gave them the news. Johnston did not speak at first, but then the mountaineer was not one to talk unless there was extreme occasion to do so. Joe said, “Vhat doeth it all mean? I mean, the gateway through vich only Pithcator could pathth?”

“We’ll find out from Thorn,” Sam said. “For the time being, what worries me is Thorn and the rest of that filthy crew.”

Johnston said, “Ye don’t think Greystock was an agent for them Ethicals, do ye? I think the polecat was just one of King John’s men.”

“He could have been that and also an agent,” Sam said.

“How?” Joe Miller rumbled.

“How do I know? Anyway, you mean why. That was really what the thief said to Jesus while he was being nailed to the cross. Why? That’s what we should be asking. Why? Yes, I think Greystock could have been an agent. He just fell in with King John’s purpose because it suited his own purpose.”

“But them agents don’t use violence,” Johnston said. “At least, that’s what ye told me X told ye. They not only hate violence, they don’t even like to touch human beings.”

“No, I didn’t say that. I said violence was unethical for the Ethicals. At least, according to X. But I don’t know that he wasn’t lying. For all I know, he may be the Prince of Darkness, who was, if you remember your Bible, the Prince of Liars.”

“Then what’re we doing?” Johnston said. “Why’re we follow­ing his orders?”

“Because I don’t know he’s lying. And his colleagues haven’t had the courtesy or decency to speak to me. He’ s all I have to go on. Also, I said that X seemed rather reluctant to have me get too close. Like the abolitionist who aired out his house after he’d had a black to dinner. But I didn’t say that the agents were Brahmins, too. Thorn and Firebrass certainly weren’t. I don’t know. Anyway, Joe has a nose for X. He came into my hut once right after X had left. And he said he smelled somebody not human.”

“Hith thtink vath different from Tham’th,” Joe said, grinning. “I didn’t thay that Tham thmelled any better, though.”

“You’re a thly one, ain’t you?” Sam said. “Anyway, Joe has never smelled anyone else like that. So I presumed that the agents are of human origin.”

“Tham thmoketh thigarth all the time,” Joe said. “I couldn’t thmell a thkunk around thothe weedth.”

“That’ll be enough of that, Joe,” Sam said. “Or I’ll run you back up the banana tree.”

“I never thaw a banana in my life! Not until I came here and my grail gave me vone for breakfatht. Even then I vathn’t thyure it vathn’t poithon.”

“Stick,” Johnston said.

Sam’s eyebrows curved like the backs of recoiling caterpillars.

“Stick what? I hope …”

“To the point.”

“Ah, yes. Anyway, I’m sure that there are agents around. The boat may be crawling with them. The question is, whose? X’s or the others’? Or both?”

Johnston said, “They ain’t seemed to interfere so far. Not with the boat, anyway. But when we get close to the headwaters …”

“I don’t know about interference. Even though he never said so, it’s safe to assume that X bored that tunnel and left that rope for Joe and his Egyptian friends. But there’s no evidence that the others are particularly against us mere Earthlings getting to the tower. They just don’t want to make it easy for us. Again, why not?

“Also, what about Odysseus? He showed up in the nick of time and saved us when we were fighting von Radowitz. He told me he was one of the twelve picked by X. I assumed at first that it was X who’d sent him. But no, Odysseus said it was a female Ethical. So, is there another one of them in on this? Another renegade who’s X’s ally? I asked him about her, and he just laughed. He wouldn’t tell me.

“But maybe the woman wasn’t X’s pal. Maybe she was an Ethical who’d gotten wind somehow of what was going on. And she sent Odysseus, who may have been an agent posing as the historic Odysseus.