‘Quite interesting,’ Semolo said loftily, at its end. ‘Whether or not I would be interested depends, of course, on whether there’s a position high enough…’
‘I doubt very much if there’s one low enough,’ Garlock cut in sharply. ‘However, since it’s part of my job, I’ll get in touch with you later.’
Back in the Main – ‘What a jerk!’ Belle exclaimed. ‘I simply marvel at your forbearance, Clee. You should have turned him inside out and hung him up to dry – especially behind the ears!’ Then, suddenly, she giggled. ‘But do you know what I did?’
‘I can guess. A couple of shots in the arm?’
‘Right. Next time he pitches into her she’ll slap his ears right off!’
‘Fine. But let’s hop to Number Two – here it is.’
‘Oh, yes,’ came a smooth, clear, diamond-sharp thought in reply to Oarlock’s introductory call. “This world as you have perceived, is Falne. I am indeed Baver 14WD27, my companion Prime is indeed Glarre 12WD91. You are, we perceive, Bearers of the Truth; of great skill and of high advancement.
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Your visit here will, I am sure, be of immense benefit to us and possibly, I hope, of some small benefit to you. We will both be delighted to have you ‘port yourselves to us immediately.’
The Tellurians did so – to be attacked on the instant by a blast of force the like of which neither had even imagined. The two Falnian Primes, capable operators both, had built up their highest possible potentials and had launched both terrific bolts without any hint of warning.
Belle’s mind, however, was already fused with Oarlock’s. Their combined blocks were instantaneous in action; their counterthrust very nearly so. Both Falnians staggered backward until they were stopped by the room’s wall.
‘Ah, yes,’ Garlock said then. ‘You are indeed, in a small and feeble way, Seekers After the Truth; of which we are indeed Bearers. Lesser Bearers, perhaps, but still Bearers. You will indeed profit greatly from our visit. You err, however, in thinking that we may in any respect profit from you. You have nothing whatever that we have not had for long. Now let us, if you please, take a few seconds of time to get acquainted, each with the other.’
“That, indeed, is the logical and seemly thing to do.’ Both Falnians straightened up and stepped forward – neither arrogantly nor apologetically, but quite as though nothing at all out of the ordinary had taken place.
Each pair studied the other. Physically, the two pairs were surprisingly alike. Baver was almost as big as Garlock and almost as heavily muscled. Glarre could have been cast in Belle’s own mold.
With that, however, all resemblance ceased.
Both Falnians were naked. The man wore only a belt and pouch in lieu of pockets; the woman only a leather carryall slung from one shoulder – big enough, Garlock thought, to hold a week’s supplies for an Explorer Scout.
His hair was thick, bushy, unkempt; sun-bleached to a nondescript blend of pale colors. Hers – long, heavy, meticulously middle-parted and dressed – was a startling two-tone job. To the right of the part it was searingly-brilliant red; to the left, an equally brilliant royal blue.
His skin was deeply tanned. The color of hers was completely masked by a bizarrely spectacular overlay of designs
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done in semi-indelible, multi-colored dyes.
‘Ah, you are worthy indeed of receiving an increment of Truth. Hear, then, the message we bring.’ And again Garlock told the story.
‘We thank you, sir and madam, from our hearts. We will accept with joy your help in finishing our ship; we will do all that in us lies to further the cause of the Galactic Service. Until a day, then?’
‘Until a day.’ Then, to Belle, ‘Okay – ready? Got’
And again in the Main :
‘What a pair they turned out to be ! Clee, that simply scared me witless ! ‘
‘It was a shock, all right.’ Garlock jammed his hands into his pockets and prowled about the room, his face a black scowl of concentration.
Finally he pulled himself out of the brown study and said, ‘I’ve been trying to think if there’s any other thing, however slight, that I have and you haven’t. There isn’t. You’ve got it all. You’re just as fast as I am, just as sharp and as accurate -and, since we now draw on the same field, just as strong.’
‘Why, Clee! You’re worrying about me! You’ve done altogether too much for me, already.’
‘Anything I can do I’ve got to do … Well, shall we go?’
‘We shall.’
They visited four more planets that day. And after supper that night, standing in the corridor between their doors, Belle began to soften her shield, as though to send a thought. Almost instantly, however, she changed her mind and snapped it back up to full power.
‘Goodnight, Clee,’ she said.
‘Goodnight, Belle.’
And each went into his own room.
The next day they worked nine planets, and the day after that they worked ten. They ate supper in friendly fashion; then strolled together across the Main to a davenport.
‘It’s funny,’ Belle said thoughtfully, ‘having this tremendous ship all to ourselves. To have a private conference right out here in the Main … or is it?’
He triggered the shields; she watched him do it. ‘It is now,’ he assured her.
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‘Prime-proof? Not ordinary Gunther blocks?’
‘Yes. Two hundred kilovolts and four hundred kilogunts, backed by all the stuff of the Prime and Op fields and the full power of the engines. I told you I made some changes.’
‘Private enough, I guess… What a mess those Primes are! And we’ll have to make the rounds twice more – when we alert ’em and when we pick ’em up.’
‘Not necessarily. This new setup ought to give us a galaxy-wide reach. Let’s try Semolo, on Lizoria, shall we?’
‘Okay, darling – lets.’ ‘Darling?’
‘Yes. You said you weren’t going to fight with me any more. Okay – I’m not going to try to lick you any more until after I’ve licked myself. I’m locked tight – you may fire when ready.’
They fired – and hit the mark dead center. Toplofty and arrogant and belligerent as ever, the Lizorian Prime took the call. T thought all the time you wanted something. Well, I neither want nor need…’
‘Cut it,’ you unlicked cub, until you can begin to use that half-liter of golop you call a brain,’ Garlock said harshly. ‘We’re just trying out a new ultra-communicator. Thanks for your help.’
On the fourth day they worked eleven planets; the fifth day saw the forty-sixth planet done and the immediate job finished. All during the supper it was very evident that Belle had something unpleasant on her mind.
After eating, she went out into the Main and slumped down on a davenport. Garlock followed her. A cigarette leaped out of a closed box and into place between her lips. It came alight. She smoked it slowly, without relish, almost as though she did not know that she was smoking.
‘Might as well get it out of your system, Belle,’ Garlock said aloud. ‘What are you thinking about at the moment?’
Belle exhaled; the half-smoked butt vanished. ‘At the moment I was thinking about Gunther blocks. Specifically, their total inability to cope with that new Prime probe of yours.’ She stared at him, narrow-eyed. ‘It goes through them just like nothing at all.’ She paused, and eyed him questioningly.
‘No comment.’
‘And yet you gave it to me. Freely. Of your own accord.
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Even before I needed it. Why?’
‘Still no comment.’
‘You’d better comment, Clee, before I blow my top.’
There is such a thing as urbanity.’
‘I’ve heard of it, yes; even though you never did believe I ever had any. But it doesn’t apply in this case. You talk a good game of urbanity, but your brand of it would never carry you that far…’
She paused. He remained silent. She went on:
‘Of course, it does put a lot of pressure on me to develop myself.’
‘I’m glad you used the word “develop” instead of “treatment”.’
‘Oh, sometimes – at rare intervals – I’m not exactly dumb. But you must have known what a horrible risk you took in making me as powerful as you are.’
‘Some, perhaps, but very definitely less risky than not doing it.’
‘Damn it, getting information out of you is harder than pulling teeth the old way. Clee Garlock, I want to know why 1’
‘Very well,’ Oarlock’s jaw set. ‘You’ve had it in mind all along that this is some kind of a lark; that you and I are Gunther tops of the universe. Or did that belief weaken a bit when we met Baver 14WD27 and his lady-love?’
‘Well, perhaps – a little. However, the probability is becoming greater with ever planet we visit. After all, some race has to be tops. Why shouldn’t it be us?’