a longer sequence, displayed graphically, which showed a modified coilship
coming in to land on a fresh, green world with the two capital ships and
Descartes linked together so as to replace the missing support structure and
thrusters.
The presentation ended by showing the coilship with the missing segments
indicated in throbbing red, then with the red sections removed and the gaps
closed up to make a slightly shorter coil, and the final scene showed the
successful link-up of the first two CRLTs.
As a piece of visual communication it left very little room for
misunderstanding, and Conway did not need Prilicla’s em-pathic faculty to tell
him that the message had been under-
stood—the two CRLTs were already moving cautiously toward each other.
“Recorders?” Conway said urgently.
“Running,” Murchison said.
Conway held his breath as once again the two massive creatures attempted fusion.
The movements of their stubby, caterpillarlike legs were barely perceptible and
their dorsal appendages were tensely still, making them resemble two enormous,
alien logs being pushed together by the current of an invisible river. When they
were separated by about six inches, the forward face of the rearmost creature
had grown the pattern of bumps and fleshy projections which they had seen during
the first two link-ups, and the rear interface of its companion had twitched
itself into a pattern of fissures and a single deep recess. Around the periphery
of the interface four wide, triangular flaps of muscle tipped with osseus
material, features which had not appeared to be of any importance when examined
on sleeping or dead CRLTs, had grown suddenly to nearly four times their size in
the unconscious state and opened out like fleshy, horn-tipped petals. But with
these two the interfaces did not correspond. They touched, held contact for
perhaps three seconds, then jerked apart.
Before Conway could comment, they were coming together again. This time the
forward creature remained still while the second twisted its forward interface
into a slightly different position to try again, but with the same result.
It was obvious that the contacts were intensely uncomfortable, and the
resultant pain had triggered off the involuntary movement which had jerked them
apart. But the CRLTs were not giving up easily, although it appeared at first as
if they had. They withdrew until their bodies were again inside their
hibernation cylinders, then their stubby legs blurred into motion as they drove
themselves at each other seeking, it seemed, by sheer brute force and bodily
inertia to force a fusion. Conway winced as they came together with a sound like
a loud, multiple slap.
But to no avail. They broke contact to lie a few feet from each other with their
dorsal appendages twitching weakly and air hissing loudly as it rushed in and
out of their breathing orifices. Then slowly they began to move together again.
.”They are certainly trying,” Murchison said softly.
“Friend Conway,” Prilicla said, “the emotional radiation from both creatures has
become more complex. There is deep anxiety but not, I would say, personal fear.
Also a feeling of understanding and great determination, with the determination
predominating. I would say that both entities fully understand the situation and
are desperately anxious to cooperate. But these unsuccessful attempts at fusion
are causing great pain, friend Conway.”
It was characteristic of the little empath that it did not mention its own
pain, which was only fractionally less severe than that of the emoting CRLTs.
But the uncontrollable trembling of its pipestem legs and fragile eggshell of a
body spoke more eloquently than words.
“Put them to sleep again,” Conway said.
There was silence while the hibernation medication was taking effect, broken
finally by Prilicla who said, “They are losing consciousness, but there is a
marked change in the emotional radiation. They are feeling both anxiety and
hope. I think they are expecting us to solve their problem, friend Conway.”
They were all looking at him, but it was Naydrad, whose mobile, silvery fur was
registering its bafflement and concern, who put the question everyone else was
too polite to ask.
“How?”
Conway did not reply at once. He was thinking that two highly intelligent elder
CRLTs from the coilship’s stern, following their first abortive attempt at