Science Fiction

U N E

NO TRUCE WITH KINGS

a new short novel by POUL ANDERSON RICHARD MATHESON VANCE AANDAHL JACK VANCE /

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No Truce With Kings {short novel) POUL ANDERSON 5 Books AVRAM DAVIDSON 59 Pushover Planet CON PEDERSON 65 H. KERR 70 Starlesque {verse) > WALTER Green Magic JACK VANCE 71 Science: The Light That Failed! ISAAC ASIMOV 84 The Weremartini VANCE AANDAHL 95 Ferdinand Feghoot: LXIII GRENDEL BRIARTON 102 Bokko-chan shin’ichi HOSHI 103 Tis The Season To Be Jelly RICHARD MATHESON 107

Another Rib JOHN J. WELLS and MARION ZIMMER BRADLEY 111

There Are No More Good Stories About Mars . . . {verse) BRIAN W. ALDISS 127

In this issue , , . Coming next month 4 F&SF Marketplace 128

Index to Volume XXIV 130

Cover by Emsh {illustrating "No Truce With Kings”)

Joseph W. Ferman; publisher Avram Davidson, executive editor Isaac Asimov, science editor E' ’ LtMkrman, managing editor

Yo f> The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, V oiutne 44. No. 6,^ Whole No. 145, June 1963. Published monthly by Mercury Press, Inc., at 404 a copy. Annual subscription $4.50 in U. S. and Possessions, $5.00 in Canada and the Pan American Union; $5.50 in all other countries. Publication office, 10 Ferry Street, Concord, N. H. EditoHal and general mail should be sent to 347 East 53rd St,, New York 22; N. Y. Second Class postage paid at Concord, N. H. Printed in U. S. A. © 1963 by Mencury Press, Inc. AH rights, including translations into other languages, reserved. Submissions must be accom- panied by stamped, self-addressed envelopes ; the Publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts. In this issue . . .

... is FOUL Anderson’s complete short novel, illustrated by Ed Emsh’s vivid cover, in which a future — and fragmented —Amer- ica fights for its spiritual as weU as its physical integrity. MARION ZIMMER BRADLEY and collaborator JOHN JAY WELLS take a daring and unusual theme, treat it with logic and dignity. VANCE AANDAHL shows that the fury of a man scorned can equal that of any woman. RICHARD MATHESON engages in a fantastic reductio ad ahsiirdem. Here for the first time are; SHINICHI HOSFH, Japan’s leading SF author, with a wry tale of a robot B-girl; JACK (The Dragon Masters') VANCE, looking beyond the old, old magics of black and white; and CON PEDERSON— the missing man—whose story of a pair of planet-plunderers and their comeuppance makes us wish he weren’t.

Coming next month . . .

. . . is part one of ROBERT A. HEINLEIN’s latest novel, GLORY ROAD. Suppose you were a young, vigorous veteran of a not-quite-- war, with no very close ties and no immediate plans . . . suppose you picked up a newspaper and saw an ad which seemed tailor- made for you . . . would you let the fact that it said HERO WANTED dissuadevou from applying? If so, you’d be missing the greatest Adventure m the Twenty Universes. GLORY ROAD has everything which niZ’" iobert A. Heinlein pre-eminent in the field, and yet it is unlike any other Heinlein book we have ever read. As an hors d’oeuvre to the main course, and as proof that we are Never Afraid To Experiment, we offer next month (for the very first time) a Letters Column. We may never offer it again. It all depends. See you aboard.

4 Introduction to Poul Anderson's NO TRUCE WITH KINGS

Foul Anderson, once we had thrown one of our famous hammer- locks onto him and threatened to snap his slender frame like a cheese-straw unless he divulged some personal details for this space, replied and said: “Age, 36; one wife, one child, one house, one car, one third of a largish houseboat (the other thirds belong to Jack "Vance and Frank Herbert, or will when we finish building

it [in San Francisco Bay] . . Trained as a physicist but drifted into writing. Like to read, talk, drink beer, sail, listen to Bach,

build things, hike, travel—all in all, a pretty bourgeois type, lucky enough not to have to put up ivith the drawbacks of bourgeoisie such as neckties, commuting, and office politics.” The author of (among many other things) THREE HEARTS AND THREE LIONS (F6-SF, Sept.-Oct., 1953 [Doubleday, 1961]) and PROG- RESS (FirSF, Jan. 1962) also translates Skaldic verse from the Old Norse, is with his brother co-founder of the Danish Imperialist Party of the United States (membership: two), Karen’s husband, AstrirTs father; and a keen student of medieval, modern, and—as here witness—future history. The America of this short novel is in many ways reminiscent of the Japan of the Early Mefi Restora- tion— the rifle sharing honors with the bow, feudal lords and central government in uncertain balance, alien powers trying to impose alien patterns. But title and principle are Western, rather than Eastern. All we have of freedom, all we use or know— / This our fathers bought for us long and long ago,” wrote Kipling. Ancient Right unnoticed as the breath we draw— / Leave to live by no man’s leave, underneath the Law— // Lance and torch and tumult,

steel and greygoose wing, / Wrenched it, inch and ell and all, slowly from the King. The King, the Leader, the Party, the Revolu-

tion . . . Tyranny has many names. Freedom needs but one.

5 NO TRUCE WITH

by Poiil Anderson

Ancient and Unteachable, abide—abide the Trumpets! Once again the Trumpets, for the shuddering ground- swell brings Clamour over ocean of the harsh, pursuing Trumpets— Trumpets of the Vanguard that have sworn no truce with Kings/—Rudyard Kipling

“Song, Charlie! Give’s a song!” towers and rain-rush in the court- “Yay, Charlie!” yards, an undertone that walked The whole mess was drunk, and through the buildings and down the junior officers at the far end of all corridors, as if the story were the table were only somewhat nois- true that the unit’s dead came out ier than their seniors near the of the cemetery each September colonel. Rugs and hangings could Nineteenth night and tried to join not much muffle the racket, the celebration but had forgotten shouts, stamping boots, thump of how. No one let it bother him, fists on oak and clash of cups here or in the enlisted barracks, raised aloft, that rang from wall to except ma)'be the hex major. The stony wall. High up among shad- Third Division, the Catamounts, ows that hid the rafters they hung was known as the most riotous from, the regimental banners gang in the Army of the Pacific stirred in a draft, as if to join the States of America, and of its regi- chaos. Below, the light of brack- ments the Rolling Stones wffio held eted lanterns and bellowing fire- Fort Nakamura were the wildest. place winked on trophies and “Go on, boy! Lead off. You’ve weapons. got the closest thing to a voice in Autumn comes early on Echo the whole goddamn Sierra,” Col- Summit, and it was storming out- onel Mackenzie called. He loos- side, wind-hoot past the watch- ened the collar of his black dress

5 ’

NO TRUCE WITH KINGS 7 tunic and lounged back, legs rus, not noticing when the colonel asprawl, pipe in one hand and knocked out his pipe and rose. beaker of whisky in the other: a thickset man with blue wrinkle- "The guns go booml Hey, meshed eyes in a battered face, his tiddley booml cropped hair turned gray hut his The rockets vroom, the ar- mustache still arrogantly red. rows zoom. “Charlie is my darlin’, my dar- From slug to slug is damn lin’, my darlin’,” sang Captain small room. Hulse. He stopped as the noise Get me out of here and hack to abated a httle. Young Lieutenant the good old womb I Amadeo got up, grinned, and (Hey, doodle dee dayO" launched into one they well knew. All right-thinking Catamounts "1 am a Catamountain, I guard maintained that they could oper- a border pass. ate better with the booze sloshing And every time I venture out, up to their eardrums than any oth- the cold will freeze m — er outfit cold sober. Mackenzie ig- nored the tingle in his veins; for-

“Colonel, sir. Begging your par- got it. He walked a straight line to don.” the door, automatically taking his Mackenzie twisted around and sidearm off the rack as he passed looked into the face of Sergeant by. The song pursued him into the Irwin. The man’s expression hall. shocked him. “Yes?” "For maggots in the rations, we “1 am a bloody hero, a decorated hardly ever lack. vet: You bite into a sandivich and The Order of the Purple Shaft, the sandivich bites right with pineapple clusters yeti" back. The coffee is the finest grade of “Message just come in, sir. Ma- Sacramento mud. jor Speyer asks to see you right The ketchup's good in combat, away.” though, for simulating blood. Speyer, who didn’t like being (Cho-orus!) drunk, had volunteered for duty The drums go bump I Ah- tonight; otherwise men drew lots tumpty-tumpl

for it on a holiday. Remembering The bugles make like Ga- the last word from San Francisco, bri’l’s trump — Mackenzie grew chill. The mess hawled forth the cho- Lanterns were far apart in the 8 VANTASV AM) SCIKN'CE t-'ICTION passage. Portraits of former com- color with tlieir dresses as they manders watched the colonel and waited to see the colonel about the sergeant from eyes that were some problem down in the Vil- hidden in grotesque darknesses. lage. When he opened the door to Footfalls clattered too loudly here. the inner room, tliough, Mac- kenzie heard the wind shriek “I’ve got an arroxv in my around the angle of the wall. rump. Rain slashed at the black window'- Right about and rearward, he- pane and ran clown in streams

roes, on the jump I which the lanterns turned molten.

(Hey, doodle dee dayiy' “Here the colonel is, sir,” Irwin said in an uneven voice. He Mackenzie went between a pair gulped and closed the door behind of fieldpieces flanking a stairway Mackenzie. — they had been captured at Rock Speyer stood by the comman- Springs during the Wyoming War, der’s desk. It was a beat-up old a generation ago — and upward. object with little upon it: an ink- There was more distance between well, a letterbasket, an interphone, places in this keep than his legs a photograph of Nora, faded in liked at their present age. But it these dozen years since her death. was old, had been added to dec- The major was a tall and gaunt ade by decade; and it needed to man, hook-nosed, going bald on be massive, chiseled and mortared top. His uniform always looked from Sierra granite, for it guarded impressed, somehow. But he had a key to the nation. More than one the sharpest brain in the Cats, army had broken against its revet- Mackenzie thought; and Christ, ments, before the Nevada marches how could any man read as many were pacified, and more young books as Phil did! Officially he men than Mackenzie wished to was the adjutant, in practice -the think about had gone from this chief advisor. base to die among angry strangers. “Well?” Mackenzie said. The But she’s never been attacked alcohol did not seem to numb from the west. God, or whatever him, rather make him too acutely you are, you can spare her that, aware of things : how the lan- can’t you? terns smelled hot (when would The command office was lone- they get a big enough generator to some at this hour. The room run electric lights?), and the floor where Sergeant Irwin had his desk was hard under his feet, and a lay so silent: no clerks pushing crack went through the plaster of pens, no messengers going in or the north wall, and the stove out, no wives making a splash of wasn’t driving out much of the NO TRUCE WITH KINGS 9 chill. He forced bravado, stuck knowledge in the course of trans- thumbs in belt and rocked back on mitting this message shall divulge his heels. “Well, Phil, what’s same to any other person whatso- wrong now?” ever. Violators of this section and “Wire from Frisco,” Speyer anyone thereby receiving informa- said. He had been folding and un- tion shall be placed immediately folding a piece of paper, which he in solitary confinement to await handed over. courtmartial. “Huh? Why not a radio call?” 2. You will sequestrate all arms “Telegram’s less likely to be in- and ammunition except for ten tercepted. This one’s in code, at percent of available stock, and

that. Irwin decoded it for me.” keep same under heavy guard. “What the hell kind of non- 3. You will keep all men in the sense is this?” Fort Nakamura area until you are “Have a look, Jimbo, and you’ll relieved. Your relief is Colonel find out. It’s for you, anyway. Di- Simon Hollis, who will start from rect from GHQ.” San Francisco tomorrow morning Mackenzie focused on Irwin’s with one battalion. They are ex- scrawl. The usual formalities of pected to arrive at Fort Nakamura an order; then: in five days, at which time you You are hereby notified that the will surrender your command to Pacific States Senate has passed a him. Colonel Hollis will desig- bill of impeachment against nate those officers and enlisted Owen1. Brodsky, formerly Judge of men who are to be replaced by the Pacific States of America, and members of his battalion, which deprived him of office. As of 2000 will be integrated into the regi- hours this date, former Vice Hum- ment. You will lead the men re- phrey Fallon is Judge of the PSA placed back to San Francisco and in accordance with the Law of report to Brigadier Ceneral Men- Succession. The existence of dis- doza at New Fort Baker. To avoid sident elements constituting a provocations, these men will be public danger has made it neces- disarmed except for officers’ side- sary for Judge Fallon to put the arms. entire nation under martial law, 4. For your private information, effective at 2100 hours this date. Captain Thomas Danielis has You are therefore issued the fol- been appointed senior aide to lowing instructions: Colonel HoUis. The above intelligence is to 5. You are again reminded that be held strictly confidential until the Pacific States of America are an official proclamation is made. under martial law because of a No person who has received national emergency. Complete 10 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION loyalty to the legal government is unify the continent. I don’t see required. Any mutinous talk must how an impeachment could get be severely punished. Anyone giv- through an honestly convened ing aid or comfort to the Brodsky Senate. More likely they’d vote faction is guilty of treason and out Fallon.” will be dealt with accordingly. “But a Senate had been called,” Gerald O’Donnell, Mackenzie said. The words sound- Gen. APSA, CINC ed to him like someone else talk- Thunder went off in the moun- ing. “The newscasts told us.” tains like artillery. It was a while “Sure. Called for yesterday ‘to before Mackenzie stirred, and debate ratification of the treaty then merely to lay the paper on his with West Canada.’ But the boss- desk. He could only summon feel- men are scatteered up and down ing slowly, up into a hollowness the country, each at his own Sta- that filled his skin. tion. They have to get to San “They dared,” Speyer said with- Francisco. A couple of arranged out tone. “They really did.” delays — hell, if a bridge just hap- “Huh?” Mackenzie swiveled pened to be blown on the Boise eyes around to the major’s face. railroad, a round dozen of Brod- Speyer didn’t meet that stare. He -sky’s staunchest supporters would- was concentrating his own gaze n’t arrive on time — so the Senate on his hands, which were now has a quorum, all right, but every rolling a cigaret. But the words one of Fallon’s supporters are jerked from him, harsh and quick: there, and so many of the rest are “I can guess what happened. missing that the warhawks b,ave a The warhawks have been holler- clear majority. Then they meet on ing for impeachment ever since a holiday, when no cityman is Brodsky compromised the border paying attention. Presto, im- dispute with West Canada. And peachment and a new Judge!” Fallon, yeah, he’s got ambitions Speyer finished his cigaret and of his own. But his partisans are stuck it between his lips while he a minority and he knows it. fumbled for a match. Electing him Vice helped soothe “You sure?” Mackenzie mum- the warhawks some, but he’d nev- bled. He thought dimly that this er make Judge the regular way, moment was like one time he’d because Brodsky isn’t going to die visited Puget City and been in- of old age before Fallon does, and vited for a sail on the Guardian’s anyhow more than fifty percent of yacht, and a fog had closed in. the Senate are sober, satisfied boss- Everything was cold and blind, men who don’t agree that the with nothing you could catch in PSA has a divine mandate to re- your hands. XO TRI CE WITH KINGS 11

“Of course I’m not sure!” Speyer really Constitutional. . . . I’ve snarled. “Nobody will be sure till been reading this damned mes- it’s too late.” The matchbox shook sage over and over since Irwin in his grasp. decoded it. There’s a lot between “They, uh, they got a new the lines. I think Brodsky’s at Cine too, I noticed.” large, for instance. If he were un- “Uh-huh. They’d want to re- der arrest this would’ve said as place everybody they can’t trust, much, and there’d have been less as fast as possible, and de Barros worry about rebellion. Maybe was a Brodsky appointee.” Tire some of his household troops match flared with a hellish scrit. smuggled him away in time. He’ll

Speyer inhaled till his cheeks col- be hunted like a jackrabbit, of lapsed. “You and me included, course.” naturally. The regiment reduced Mackenzie took out his pipe to minimum armament so that no- but forgot he had done so. “Tom’s body will get ideas about resist- coming with our replacements,” he ance when the new colonel ar- said thinly. rives. You’ll note he’s coming “Yeah. Your son-in-law. That with a battalion at his heels just was a smart touch, wasn’t it? A the same, just in case. Otherwise kind of hostage for your good be- he could take a plane and be here havior, but also a backhand prom- tomorrow.” ise that you and yours won’t suffer “Why not a train?” Mackenzie if you report in as ordered. Tom’s caught a whiff of smoke and felt a good kid. He’ll stand by his for his pipe. The bowl was hot in own.” his tunic pocket. “This is his regiment too,” Mac- “Probably all rolling stock has kenzie said. He squared his shoul- (0 head north. Get troops among ders. “He wanted to fight West the bossmen there and forestall a Canada, sure. Young and . . . and revolt. The valleys are safe enough, a lot of Pacificans did get killed peaceful ranchers and Esper colo- in the Idaho Panhandle during nies. None of them’ll pot-shot the skirmishes. Women and kids Fallonite soldiers marching to among ’em.” garrison Echo and Donner out- “Well,” Speyer said, “you’re the posts.” A dreadful scorn weighted colonel, Jimbo. What do we do?” .Speyer’s words. “Oh, Jesus, I don’t know. I’m “What are we going to do?” nothing but a soldier.” The pipe- “I assume Fallon’s take-over fol- stem broke in Mackenzie’s fingers. lowed legal forms; that there was “But we’re not some bossman’s a quorum,” Speyer said. “Nobody personal militia here. We swore will ever agree whether it was to support the Constitution.” 12 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

"I can’t see where Brodsky’s “Yes. I thought Tom, some- yielding some of our claims in day—" Idaho is grounds for impeach- “We’ve watched this brewing ment. I think he was right.” for a long time. Remember the “Well—" talk we had about it last week?” "A coup d’etat by any other "Uh-huh.” name would stink as bad. You "I might also remind you that may not be much of a student of the Constitution was written ex- current events, Jimbo, but you plicitly ‘to confirm the separate ” know as well as I do what Fal- regions in their ancient liberties.’ lon’s Judgeship will mean. War "Let me alone!” Mackenzie with West Canada is almost the shouted. “I don’t know what’s least of it. Fallon also stands for right or wrong, I tell you! Let me a strong central government. He’ll alone!” find ways to grind down the old Speyer fell silent, watching bossman families. A lot of their him through a screen of foul heads and scions will die in the smoke. Mackenzie walked back front lines; that stunt goes back and forth a while, boots slamming to David and Uriah. Others will the floor like drumbeats. Finally he be accused of collusion with the threw the broken pipe across the Brodsky people —not altogether room so it shattered. falsely — and impoverished by “Okay.” He must ram each fines. Esper communities will get word past the tension in his throat. nice big land grants, so their eco- “Irwin’s a good man who can nomic competition can bankrupt keep his lip buttoned. Send him still other estates. Later wars will out to cut the telegraph line a few keep bossmen away for years at a miles downhill. Make it look as if time, unable to supervise their the storm did it. The wire breaks own affairs, which will therefore often enough, heaven knows. Offi- go to the devil. And thus we cially, then, we never got GFIQ’s march toward the glorious goal of message. That gives us a few Reunification.” days to contact Sierra Command "If Esper Central favors him, HQ. I won’t go against General what can we do? I’ve heard enough Cruikshank . . . but I’m pretty about psi blasts. I can’t ask my sure which way he’ll go if he sees men to face them.” a chance. Tomorrow we prepare "You could ask your men to for action. It’ll be no trick to face the Hellbomb itself, Jimbo, throw back Hollis’ battalion, and and they would. A Mackenzie has they’ll need a while to bring some commanded the Rolling Stones for real strength against us. Before over fifty years.” then the first snmv should be —

NO TRUCE Wm-I KINGS 13 along, and we’ll be shut off for the well-to-do protectee families. The winter. Only we can use skis and existing social order had been snowshoes, ourselves, to keep in good to them. But Tom Danielis touch with the other units and or- began as a fisher lad in a poverty- ganize something. By spring stricken village on the Mendocino we’ll see what happens.” coast. In spare moments he’d “Thanks, Jimbo.” The wind al- learned the three R’s from a local most drowned Speyer’s words. Esper; once literate, he joined the 'Td ... I’d better go tell Laura.” army and earned a commission by “Yeah.” Speyer squeezed Mac- sheer guts and brains. He had kenzie’s shoulder. There were never forgotten that the Espers tears in the major’s eyes. helped the poor and tliat Fallon

Mackenzie went out with pa- promised to help the Espers. . . . rade-ground steps, ignoring Ir- Then, too, battle, glory. Reunifi- win: down tire hall, down a stair- cation Eederal Democracy, those way at its other end, past guarded were heady dreams when you doors where he returned salutes were young. without really noticing, and so to Laura’s room was little changed his own quarters in the south since she left it to get married last wing. year. And she had only been sev- His daughter had gone to sleep enteen then. Objects survived already. He took a lantern off its which had belonged to a small hook in his bleak little parlor, and person with pigtails and starched entered her room. She had come frocks — a teddy bear loved to back here while her husband was shapelessness, a doll house her fa- in San Francisco. ther had built, her mother’s pic- For a moment Mackenzie ture drawn by a corporal who couldn’t quite remember why he stopped a bullet at Salt Lake. Oh, had sent Tom there. He passed a God, how much she had come to hand over his stubbly scalp, as if look like her mother. to squeeze something out . . . oh, Dark hair streamed over a pil- yes, ostensibly to arrange for a low turned gold by the light. Mac- new issue of uniforms; actually to kenzie shook her as gently as he get the boy out of the way until was able. She awoke instantly, the political crisis had blown over. and he saw the terror within her. Tom was too honest for his own “Dad! Anything about Tom?” good, an admirer of Fallon and “He’s okay.” Mackenzie set the the Esper movement. His outspo- lantern on the floor and himself kenness had led to friction with on the edge of the bed. Her fingers his brother officers. They were were cold where they caught at mostly of bossman stock or from his hand. " ”

14 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

"He isn’t,” she said. "I know She sat thinking for a space be- you too well.” fore saying flatly: “I suppose you “He’s not been hurt yet. I hope can’t be talked out of it.” He he won’t be.” shook his head. “Well, can I Mackenzie braced himself. Be- leave tomorrow early, then?” cause she was a soldier’s daughter, “Yes. I’ll get you a coach.” he told her the truth in a few “T-t-to hell with that. I’m bet- words; but he was not strong ter in the saddle than you are.” enough to look at her while he “Okay. A couple of men to es- did. When he had finished, he sat cort you, though.” Mackenzie dully listening to the rain. drew a long breath.—“Maybe you “You’re going to revolt,” she can persuade Tom whispered. “No. I can’t. Please don’t ask “I’m going to consult with me to. Dad.” SCHQ and follow my command- He gave her the last gift he ing officer’s orders,” he said. could: "I wouldn’t want you to

“You know what they’ll be . . . stay. That’d be shirking your own once he knows you’ll back him.” duty. Tell Tom I still think he’s Mackenzie shrugged. His head the right man for you. Goodnight, had begun to ache. Hangover duck.” It came out too fast, but he started already? He’d need a good dared not delay. When she began deal more booze before he could to cry he must unfold her arms sleep tonight. No, no time for from his neck and depart the sleep — yes, tliere would be. To- room. morrow would do to assemble the regiment in the courtyard and ad- “Blit I had not expected so dress them from the breech of much killing!’’ Black Hepzibah, as a Mackenzie "l^or I ... at this stage of of the Rolling Stones always ad- things. There will he more yet, 1 dressed his men, and — He found am afraid, hefme the immediate himself ludicrously recalling a purpose is achieved.” day when he and Nora and this “You told me— girl here had gone rowing on "I told you our hopes, Mivyr. Lake Tahoe. The water was the You knoiv as well as I that the color of Nora’s eyes, green and Great Science is only exact on blue and with sunlight flimmering the broadest scale of history. Indi- across the surface, but so clear you vidual events are subject to statis- could see the rocks on the bot- tical fluctuation.” tom; and Laura’s own little bot- "That is an easy %vay, is it not, tom had stuck straight in the air to describe sentient beings dying as she trailed her hands astern. in the mud?" »NO TRUCE WITH KINGS 15

"You are nerv here. Theory is worked to gain information and one thing, adjustment to practical understanding. That work goes necessities is another. Do you on. It was only seventy years ago think it does not hurt me to see that we felt enough assurance to that happen which I myself have introduce the first new factor into helped plan?" this one selected society. As tve "Oh, 1 know, 1 know. Which continue to learn more, the plan makes it no easier to live with my will be adjusted. It may take us a guilt." thousand years to complete our “To live with your responsibili- mission." ties, you mean." "But meanwhile they have "Your phrase." pulled themselves back out of the "No, this is not semantic trick- wreckage. They are finding their ery. The distinction is real. You own answers to their problems. '* have read reports and seen films, What right have we to— but I was here with the first ex- "I begin to ivonder, Mwyr, what pedition. And here J have been right you have to claim even the for more than two centuries. Their title of apprentice psychodynami- agony is no abstraction to me." cian. Consider what their 'an- "But it was different when we swers’ actually amount to. Most of first discovered them. The after- the planet is still in a state of bar- math of their nuclear wars was barism. This continent has come still so horribly present. That was farthest toward recovery, because when they needed us — the poor of having the ividest distribution starveling anarchs —and we, we of technical skills and equipment did itothing but observe." before the destruction. But what "Now you are hysterical. Could social structure has evolved? A we come in blindly, ignorant of jumble of quarrelsome successor every last fact about them, and ex- states. A feudalism where the bal- pect to be anything but one more ance of political, military, and disruptive element? An element economic pcnver lies with a landed whose effects we ourselves would aristocracy, of all archaic things. not have been able to predict. A score of languages and sub- That would have been criminal cultures developing along their indeed, like a surgeon who started own incompatible lines. A blind to operate as soon as he met the technology-worship inherited from patient, without so much as tak- the ancestral society, that un- ing a case history. We had to let checked will lead them in the them go their own way while we end back to a machine civilization studied in secret. You have no as demoniac as the one that tore idea how desperately hard we itself apart three centuries ago. 16 FANTASY AND SCIENCE. FICTION

Are you distressed that a few hun- tile soil to any demagogue. The dred men have been killed be- empire will undergo endless up- cause our agents promoted a revo- heaval, civil strife, despotism, de- lution which did not come off cay, and outside invasion. Oh, we quite so smoothly as we hoped? will have much to answer for be- Well, you have the word of the fore we are done!"

Great Science itself that without "Do you think . . . when we see

our guidance, the totalled misery the final result . . . ivill the blood of this race through the next five wash off us?" thousand years would outweigh "No. We pay the heaviest price by three orders of magnitude of all." whatever pain we are forced to in- flict." Spring in the high Sierra is “ — Yes. Of course. I realize I cold, wet, snowbanks melting am being emotional. It is difficult away from forest floor and giant not to be at first, I suppose." rocks, rivers in spate until their "You should be thankful that canyons clang, a breeze ruffling your initial exposure to the hard puddles in the road. The first necessities of the plan ivas so green breath across the aspen mild. There is worse to come." seems infinitely tender against "So I have been told." pine and spruce, which gloom in- "In abstract terms. But consid- to a brilliant sky. A raven swoops er the reality. A government am- low, gruk, gruk, look out for that bitious to restore the old nation damn hawk! But then you cross will act aggressively, thus em- timberline and the world becomes broiling itself in prolonged wars tumbled blue-gray immensity, with powerful neighbors. Both di- with the sun ablaze on what rectly and indirectly, through the snows remain and the wind ' operation of economic factors they sounding hollow in your ears. are too naive to control, the aristo- Captain Thomas Danielis, crats and freeholders will be erod- Field Artillery, Loyalist Army of ed away by those ivars. Anomic the Pacific States, turned his horse democracy will replace their sys- aside. He was a dark young man, tem, first dominated by a corrupt slender and snubnosed. Behind capitalism and later by sheer force him a squad slipped and cursed, of whoever holds the central gov- dripping mud from feet to hel- ernment. Bui there will be no mets, trying to get a gun carrier place for the vast displaced pro- unstuck. Its alcohol motor was letariat, the one-time landowners too feeble to do more than spin the and the foreigners incorporated wheels. The infantry squelched by conquest. They will offer fer- on past, stoop-shouldered, worn NO TRUCE WITH KINGS 17 clown by altitude and a wet biv- look across a jumbled sweep of ouac and pounds of mire on each mountainscape, where cloud shad- boot. Their line snaked from ows sailed over cliffs and boul- around a prowlike crag, up the ders, down into the gloom of a twisted road and over the ridge canyon and across to the other ahead. A gust brought the smell of side. A few tufts of grass thrust out sweat to Danielis. beneath him, mummy brown, and But they were good joes, he a marmot wakened early from tliought. Dirty, dogged, they did winter sleep whistled somewhere their profane best. His own com- in the stone confusion. He still pany, at least, was going to get hot couldn’t see the castle. Nor had Food tonight, if he had to cook the he expected to, as yet. He knew

([uartermaster sergeant. this country . . . how well he did! The horse’s hoofs hanged on a There might be a glimpse of block of ancient concrete jutting hostile activity, though. It had From the muck. If this had been been eerie to march this far with the old days . . . but wishes weren’t no sign of the enemy, of anyone bullets. Beyond this part of the else whatsoever; to send out pa- range lay lands mostly desert, trols in search of rebel units that claimed by. the Saints, who were could not be found, to ride with no longer a menace but with shoulder muscles tense against the whom there was scant commerce. sniper’s arrow that never came. So the mountain highways had Old Jimbo Mackenzie was not never been considered worth re- one to sit passive behind walls, paving, and the railroad ended at and the Rolling Stones had not Ifangtown. Therefore the expedi- been given their nickname in jest. tionary force to the Tahoe area If ]imbo is alive. Hoiv do J must slog through unpeopled for- know he is? That buzzard yonder ests and icy uplands, God help may be the very one which hacked (he poor bastards. out his eyes. God help them in Nakamura, Danielis bit his lip and made loo, Danielis thought. His mouth himself look steadily tlirough the drew taut, he slapped his hands glasses. Don’t think about Mac- logether and spurred the horse kenzie, how he outroared and out- with needless violence. Sparks drank and outlaughed you and shot from iron shoes as the beast you never minded, how he sat clattered off the road toward the knotting his brows over the chess- highest point of the ridge. The board where you could mop him man’s saber banged his leg. up ten times out of ten and he Reining in, he unlimbered his never cared, how proud and happy

Held glasses. From here he could he stood at the wedding. . . . Nor 18 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION think about Laura, who tried to and might well shoot the thing keep you from knowing how often down. she wept at night, who now bore A shoe scraped behind Daniel- a grandchild beneath her heart is. Horse and man whirled as one. and woke alone in the San Fran- His pistol jumped into his hand. cisco house from the evil dreams It lowered. “Oh. Excuse me. of pregnancy. Every one of those Philosopher.” dogfaces plodding toward the cas- The man in the blue robe nod- tle which has killed every army ded. A smile softened his stem ever sent against it — every one of face. He must be around sixty them has somebody at home and years old, hair white and skin Hell rejoices at how many have lined, but he walked these heights somebody on the rebel side. Better like a wild goat. The Yang and look for hostile spoor and let it go Yin symbol burned gold on his at that. breast. Wait! Danielis stiffened. A "You’re needlessly on edge, rider —He focused. One of our son,” he said. A trace of Texas ac- awn. Fallon’s army added a blue cent stretched out his words. The band to the uniform. Returning Espers obeyed the laws wherever scout. A tingle went along his they lived, but acknowledge no spine. He decided to hear the re- country their own: nothing less port firsthand. But the fellow was than mankind, perhaps ultimately still a mile off, perforce riding all life through the space-time slowly over the hugger-mugger universe. Nevertheless, the Pa- terrain. There was no hurry about cific States had gained enormous- intercepting him. Danielis con- ly in prestige and influence when tinued to survey the land. the Order’s unenterable Central A reconnaissance plane ap- was established in San Francisco peared, an ungainly dragonfly at the time when the city was be- with sunlight flashing off a pro- ing rebuilt in earnest. There had pellor head. Its drone bumbled been no objection — on the con- among rock walls, where echoes trary — to the Grand Seeker’s de- threw the noise back and forth. sire that Philosopher Woodworth Doubtless an auxiliary to the accompany the expedition as an scouts, employing two-way radio observer. Not even from the chap- communication. Later the plane lains; the churches had finally would work as a spotter for artil- gotten it straight that the Esper lery. There was no use making a teachings were neutral with re- bomber of it; Fort Nakamura was spect to religion. proof against anything that to- Danielis managed a grin. "Can day’s puny aircraft could drop, you blame me?” NO TRUCE WITH KINGS 19

"No blame. But advice. Your now and again, when the Order attitude isn’t useful. Does nothin’ was seriously threatened, and but wear you out. You’ve been Judge Fallon was a better friend fightin’ a battle for weeks before to them than Brodsky or the earli- it began.’’ er Senate of Bossmen and House Danielis remembered the apos- of People’s Deputies had been. tle who had visited his home in The horse stamped and blew San Francisco —by invitation, in out its breath in a snort. Wood- the hope that Laura might learn worth glanced back at the rider. some peace. His simile had been “If you ask me, though,’’ he said, still homelier: “You only need to “I don’t reckon you’ll find much wash one dish at a time.’’ Tlie doin’ around here. I ivas in the memory brought a smart to Dan- Rangers myself, back home, before ielis’ eyes, so that he said roughly: I saw the Way. This country feels “I might relax if you’d use your empty.’’ powers to tell me what’s waiting “If we could know!” Danielis for us.’’ exploded. “They’ve had the whole "I’m no adept, son. Too much winter to do what they liked in the in the material world. I’m afraid. mountains, while the snow kept Somebody’s got to do the practical us out. What scouts we could get work of the Order, and someday in reported a beehive — as late as I’ll get the chance to retire and two weeks ago. What have they explore the frontier inside me. planned?” But you need to start early, and Woodworth made no reply. stick to it a lifetime, to develop It flooded from Danielis, he your full powers.’’ Woodworth couldn’t stop, he had to cover the looked across the peaks, seemed al- recollection of Laura bidding most to merge himself with their him goodbye on his second ex- loneliness. pedition against her father, six Danielis hesitated to break into months after the first one came that meditation. He wondered home in bloody fragments: what practical purpose the Phi- “If we had the resources! A losopher was serving on this trip. few wretched little railroads and To bring back a report, more ac- motor cars; a handful of aircraft; curate than untrained senses and most of our supply trains drawn undisciplined emotions could pre- by mules—what kind of mobility pare? Yes, that must be it. The does that give us? And what real- Espers might yet decide to take a ly drives me crazy ... we know hand in this w'ar. However reluc- how to make what they had in the tantly, Central had allowed the old days. We’ve got the books, the aivesome psi powers to be released information. More, maybe, than ”

20 F.\NTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION the ancestors. I’ve watched the cohol, to keep a few motors turn- electrosmith at Fort Nakamura ing; and we import a dribble of turn out transistor units with other stuff along an unbelievably enough bandwidth to carry tele- inefficient chain of middlemen; vision, no bigger than my fist. and most of it’s eaten by the I’ve seen the scientific journals, armies.” He jerked his head to- the research labs, biology, chemis- ward that part of the sky which try, astronomy, mathematics. And the handmade airplane had all useless!” crossed. “That’s one reason we’ve “Not so,” Woodworth answered got to have Reunification. So we mildly. "Like my own Order, the can rebuild.” community of scholarship’s be- “And the other?” Woodworth comin’ supranational. Printin’ asked softly. presses, radiophones, telescribes “Democracy — universal suf- it frage — ” Danielis swallowed. “I say useless. Useless to stop “And so fathers and sons won’t men killing each other because have to fight each other again.” there’s no authority strong enough “Those are better reasons,” to make them behave. Useless to Woodworth said. “Good enough take a farmer’s hands off a horse- for the Espers to support. But—as drawn plow and put them on the for that machinery you want wheel of a tractor. We’ve got the He shook his head. “No, you’re knowledge, but we can’t apply it.” wrong there. That’s no way for

“You do apply it, son, where men to live.” too much power and industrial “Maybe not,” Danielis said. plant isn’t required. Remember, “Thougli my own father wouldn’t the world’s a lot poorer in natural have been crippled by overwork if resources than it was before the he’d had some machines to help

Hellbombs. I’ve seen the Black him. . . . Oh, I don’t know. First Lands myself, where the fire- things first. Let’s get this war over storm passed over the Texas oil- with and argue later.” He remem- fields.” Woodworth’s serenity bered the scout, now gone from cracked a little. He turned his view. “Pardon me. Philosopher, eyes back to the peaks. I’ve got an errand.” “There’s oil elsewhere,” Dan- The Esper raised his hand in ielis insisted. “And coal, iron, token of peace. Danielis cantered uranium, everything we need. off. But the world hasn’t got the or- Splashing along the roadside, ganization to get at it. Not in any he saw the man he wanted, halted quantity. So we fill the Central by Major Jacobsen. The latter, Valley with crops that’ll yield al- who must have sent him out, sat XO TRUCE WITH KINGS 21 mounted near the infantry line. even field artillery, pulled out The scout was a Klamath Indian, just three-four days ago. Ground’s stocky in buckskins, a bow on his all tore up. They headed down- shoulder. Arrows were favored slope, sort of west by northwest, over guns by many of the men far’s we could tell from what we from the northern districts: saw.” cheaper than bullets, no noise, Jacobsen choked. “Where are less range but as much firepower they bound?” as a bolt-action rifle. In the bad A flaw of wind struck Danielis old days before the Pacific States in the face and ruffled the horses’ had formed their union, archers manes. At his back he heard the along forest trails had saved many slow plop and squish of boots, a town from conquest; they still groan of wheels, chuff of motors, helped keep that union loose. rattle of wood and metal, yells “Ah, Captain Danielis,” Jacob- and whipcracks of muleskinners. sen hailed. “You’re just in time. But it seemed very remote. A map Lieutenant Smith was about to re- grew before him, blotting out the port what his detachment found world. out.” The loyalist army had had sav- "And the plane,” said Smith age lighting the whole winter, imperturbably. “What the pilot from the Trinity Alps to Puget told us he’d seen from the air gave Sound — for Brodsky had man- us the guts to go there and check aged to reach Mount Rainier, for ourselves.” whose lord had furnished broad- “Well?” casting facilities, and Rainier was “Nobody around.” too well fortified to take at once. “What?” The bossmen and the autonomous “Fort’s been evacuated. So’s the tribes rose in arms, persuaded settlement. Not— a soul.” that a usurper threatened their “But— but ” Jacobsen col- damned little local privileges. lected himself. "Go on.” Their protectees fought beside “We studied the signs as best’s them, if only because no rustic we could. Looks like noncom- had been taught any higher loyalty batants left some time ago. By than to his patron. West Canada, sledge and ski. I’d guess, maybe fearful of what Fallon might do north to some strong point. I sup- when he got the chance, lent the pose the men shifted their own rebels aid that was scarcely even stuff at the same time, gradual- clandestine. like, what they couldn’t carry Nonetheless, the national army with ’em at the last. Because the was stronger: more materiel, bel- regiment and its support units. ter organization, above everything ”

22 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION an ideal of the future. Cine his ears, crazily, the voice of O’Donnel had outlined a strategy Laura as she used to sing. Doivn —concentrate the loyal forces at in the valley, valley so low. a few points, overwhelm resist- “Judas!” the major exclaimed. ance, restore order and establish Even the Indian grunted as if he bases in the region, then proceed had taken a belly blow. “No, they to the next place — which worked. couldn’t. We’d have known.” The government now controlled Hang your head over, hear the the entire coast, with naval units wind blow. It hooted across cold to keep an eye on the Canadians in rocks. Vancouver and guard the impor- “There are plenty of forest tant Hawaii trade routes; the trails,” Danielis said. “Infantry northern half of Washington al- and cavalry could use them, if most to the Idaho line; the Colum- they’re accustomed to such coun- bia Valley; central California as try. And the Cats are. Vehicles, far north as Redding. The re- wagons, big guns, that’s slower maining rebellious Stations and and harder. But they only need to towns were isolated from each outflank us, then they can get other in mountains, forests, des- back onto Forty and Fifty — and erts. Bossdom after bossdom fell cut us to pieces if we attempt pur- as the loyalists pressed on, de- suit. I’m afraid they’ve got us feating the enemy in detail, cut- boxed.” ting him off from supphes and “The eastern slope — ” said hope. The only real worry had Jacobsen helplessly. been Cruikshank’s Sierra Com- "What for? Want to occupy a mand, an army in its own right lot of sagebrush? No, we’re rather than a levy of yokels and trapped here till they deploy in citymen, big and tough and ex- the flatlands.” Danielis closed a pertly led. This expedition against hand on his saddlehorn so that Fort Nakamura was only a small the knuckles went bloodless. “I part of what had looked like a dif- miss my guess if this isn’t Colonel ficult campaign. Mackenzie’s idea. It’s his style, for But now the Rolling Stones sure.” had pulled out. Offered no fight “But then they’re between us whatsoever. Which meant that and Frisco! With damn near— our their brother Catamounts must whole strength in the north also have evacuated. You don’t Between me and Laura, Dan- give up one anchor of a line you ielis thought. intend to hold. So? He said aloud: “I suggest, ma- “Down into the valleys,” Dan- jor, we get hold of the C.O. at ielis said; and there sounded in once. And then we better get on NO TRUCE WITH KINGS 23

file radio.” From some well he There was no immediate danger drew the power to raise his head. of attack. But the cavalrymen at- The wind lashed his eyes. “This tached to the force must needs needn’t be a disaster. They’ll be spread out. The sun flashed off easier to beat out in the open, ac- their helrnets and lance heads. tually, once we come to grips.” Mackenzie’s attention was di- rected forward. Amber walls and Roses love sunshine, violets love red tile roofs could be seen among dew, plum trees that were a surf of pink Angels in heaven know I love and white blossoms. The commu- you. nity was big, several thousand The rains which fill the winter people. The muscles tightened in of the California lowlands were his abdomen. “Think we can about ended. Northward along a trust them?” he asked, not for the highway whose pavement clopped first time. “We’ve only got a radio under hoofs, Mackenzie rode agreement to a parley.” through a tremendous greenness. Speyer, riding beside him, Eucalyptus and live oak, flanking nodded. “I expect they’ll be hon- the road, exploded with new est. Particularly with our boys leaves. Beyond them on either right outside. Espers believe in side stretched a checkerboard of non-violence anyway.” fields and vineyards, intricately “Yeah, but if it did come to hued, until the distant hills on fighting — I know there aren’t very the right and the higher, near ones many adepts so far. The Order on the left made walls. The free- hasn’t been around long enough holder houses that had been scat- for that. But when you get this tered across the land a ways back many Espers together, there’s were no longer to be seen. This bound to be a few who’ve gotten end of the Napa Valley belonged somewhere with their damned to the Esper community at St. psionics. I don’t want my men Helena. Clouds banked like white blasted, or lifted in tlie air and mountains over the western ridge. dropped, or any such nasty thing.” The breeze bore to Mackenzie a Speyer threw him a sidelong smell of growth and turned earth. glance. “Are you scared of them, Behind him it rumbled with Jimbo?” he murmured. men. The Rolling Stones were on “Hell, no!” Mackenzie won- the move. The regiment proper dered if he was a liar or not. “But kept to the highway, three thou- I don’t like ’em.” sand boots slamming down at “They do a lot of good. Among once with an earthquake noise, the poor, especially.” and so did the guns and wagons. “Sure, sure. Though any decent —

24 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION bossman looks after his own pro- and I for that matter— distrust tectees, and we’ve got things like the Espers is tliat they do represent churches and hospices as well. I something alien to us. Something don’t see where just being charita- that may eventually choke out the ble —and they can afford it, with whole concept of life that we grew the profits they make on their up with. You know, a couple holdings — I don’t see where that weeks back in Sacramento I gives any right to raise the or- dropped in at the University re- phans and pauper kids they take search lab to see what was going in, the way they do: so’s to make on. Incredible! The ordinary sol- the poor tikes unfit for life any- dier would swear it w'as witch- where outside.” work. It was certainly more weird

“The object of that, as you well than . . . than simply reading know, is to orient them toward the minds or moving objects by think- so-called interior frontier. Which ing at them. But to you or me it’s American civilization as a whole a shiny new marvel. We’ll wallow is not much interested in. Frank- in it. ly, quite apart from the remark- “Now why’s that? Because the able powers some Espers have de- lab is scientific. Those men work veloped, I often envy them.” with chemical, electronics, sub- “You, Phil?” Mackenzie gog- viral particles. That fits into the gled at his friend. educated American’s w'o^ld-view^ The lines drew deep in Speyer’s But the mystic unity of creation face. “This winter I’ve helped . . . no, not our cup of tea. The shoot a lot of my fellow country- only way we can hope to achieve men,” he said low. “My mother Oneness is to renounce everything and wife and kids are crowded we’ve ever believed in. At your with the rest of the Village in the age or mine, Jimbo, a man is sel- Mount Lassen fort, and when we dom ready to tear down his whole said goodbye we knew it was life and start from scratch.” quite possibly permanent. And in “Maybe so.” Mackenzie lost in- the past I’ve helped shoot a lot of terest. The settlement w'as quite other men who never did me any near now. personal harm.” He sighed. I’ve lie turned around to Captain often wondered what it’s like to Hulse, riding a few paces behind. know peace, inside as well as out- "Here we go,” he said. “Give my side.” compliments to Lieutenant Colo- MacKenzie sent Laura and nel Yamaguchi and tell him he’s Tom out of his head. in charge till we get back. If any- “Of course,” Speyer went on, thing seems suspicious, he’s to act “the fundamental reason you at his own discretion.” —

KO TRUCE WITH KINGS 25

“Yes, sir." Hulse saluted and many dirty jokes stemmed from wheeled smartly about. There had that practice. But Speyer, w’ho been no practical need for Mac- should know, said there was no kenzie to repeat what had long more sexual swapping around been agreed on; but he knew the than in the outside world. The value of ritual. He clicked his big idea was simply to get away from sorrel gelding into a trot. At his possessiveness, thee versus me, and back he heard bugles sound orders to raise children as part of a whole and sergeants howl at their pla- rather than an insular clan. toons. The kids were out, staring Speyer kept pace. Mackenzie round-eyed from the porticos, hun- had insisted on bringing an extra dreds of them. They looked healtliy man to the discussion. His own and, underneath a natural fear of wits were probably no match for the invaders, happy enough. But a high-level Esper, but Phil’s pretty solemn, Mackenzie might be. thought; and all in the same blue Not that there’s any question of garb. Adults stood among them, diplomacy or whatever. I hope. expressionless. Everybody had To ease himself, he concentrated come in from the fields as the regi- on what was real and present ment neared. The silence was like hoofbeats, the rise and fall of the barricades. Mackenzie felt sweat saddle beneath him, the horse’s begin to trickle down his ribs. muscles rippling between his When he emerged on the central thighs, creak and jingle of his square, he let out his breath in a saber belt, the clean odor of the near gasp. animal — and suddenly remem- A fountain, the basin carved bered this was the sort of trick the into a lotus, tinkled at the middle Espers recommended. of the plaza. Flowing trees stood

None of their communities was around it. The square W’as de- walled, as most towns and every fined on three sides by massive bossman’s Station was. The of- buildings that must be for storage. ficers turned off the highway and On the fourth side rose a smaller went dow'n a street between colon- temple-like structure with a naded buildings. Side streets ran graceful cupola, obviously head- off in both directions. The settle- quarters and meeting house. On ment covered no great area, its lowest step were ranked half a though, being composed of groups dozen blue-robed men, five of that lived together, sodalities or them husky youths. The sixth was superfamilies or whatever you middle-aged, the Yang and Yin on wanted to call them. Some hos- his breast. His features held an im- tility toward the Order and a great placable calm. —

26 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION Mackenzie and Speyer drew “We’d better get right to busi- rein. The colonel flipped a soft ness,” the colonel blurted. salute. “Philosopher Gaines? I’m Gaines said nothing. At last Mackenzie, here’s Major Speyer.” Mackenzie must plow ahead; He swore at himself for being so “Here’s the situation. Our force awkward about it and wondered is to occupy Calistoga, with de- what to do with his hands. The tacliments on either side of tire young fellows he understood, hills. That way we’ll control both more or less; they watched him the Napa Valley and the Valley of with badly concealed hostility. the Moon . . . from the northern But he had some trouble meeting ends, at least. The best place to Gaines’ eyes. station our eastern wing is here. The settlement leader inclined We plan to establish a fortified his head. “Welcome, gentlemen. camp in the field yonder. I’m sor- Won’t you come in?” ry about the damage to your crops, Mackenzie dismounted, hitched but you’ll be compensated once his horse to a post and removed the proper government has been his helmet. His worn reddish- restored. And food, medicine brown uniform felt shabbier yet in you understand this army has to these surroundings “Thanks. Uh, requisition such items, but we

I’ll have to make this quick.” won’t let anybody suffer undue “To be sure. Follow me, please.” hardship and we’ll give receipts. Stiff-backed, the young men Uh, as a precaution we’ll need to trailed after their elders, through quarter a few men in this commu- an entry chamber and down a nity, to sort of keep an eye on short hall. Speyer looked around things. They’ll interfere as little at the mosaics. “Why, this is love- as possible. Okay?” ly,” he murmured. “Tbe charter of the Order guar- “Thank you,” said Gaines. antees exemption from military “Here’s my office.” He opened a requirements,” Gaines answered door of superbly grained walnut evenly. “In fact, ho armed man is and gestured the visitors through. supposed to cross the boundary of When he closed it behind himself, any land held by an Esper settle- the acolytes waited outside. ment. I cannot be party to a viola- The room was austere, white- tion of the law, colonel.” washed walls enclosing little more “If you want to split legal than a desk, a shelf of books, and hairs. Philosopher,” Speyer said, some backless chairs. A window “then I’ll remind you that hoth opened on a garden. Gaines sat Fallon and Judge Brodsky have down. Mackenzie and Speyer fol- declared martial law. Ordinary lowed suit. rules are suspended.” NO TRUCE WITH KINGS 27

Gaines smiled. “Since only one “What about the army that went government can be' legitimate,” he into the Sierra against you?” said, “the proclamations of the Gaines inquired shrewdly. “Have other are necessarily null and you contained them?” void. To a disinterested observer, Mackenzie scowled. “No. it would appear that Judge Fal- That’s no secret. They got out lon’s title is the stronger, especial- through the Mother Lode country ly when his side controls a large and went around us. They’re continuous area rather than some down in Los Angeles and San scattered hossdoms.” Diego now.” “Not any more, it doesn’t,” Mac- “A formidable host. Do you ex- kenzie snapped. pect to stand them off indefinite- Speyer gestured him hack. “Per- ly?” haps you haven’t followed the de- “We’re going to make a hell of velopments of the last few weeks. a good try,” Mackenzie said. Philosopher,” he said. “Allow me “Where we are, we’ve got the ad- to recapitulate. The Sierra Com- vantage of interior eommunica- mand stole a march on the Fal- tions. And most of the freeholders lonites and came down out of the are glad to slip us word about mountains. There was almost whatever they observe. We can nothing left in the middle part of concentrate at any point the ene- California to oppose us, so we my starts to attack.” took over rapidly. By occupying “Pity that this rich land must Sacramento, we control river and also be torn apart by war.” rail traffic. Our bases extend south “Yeah. Isn’t it?” below Bakersfield, with Yosemite “Our strategic objective is ob- and King’s Canyon not far away vious enough,” Speyer said. “We to provide sites for extremely have cut enemy communications strong positions. When we’ve con- across the middle, except by sea, solidated this northern end of our which is not very satisfactory for gains, the Fallonite forces around troops operating far inland. We Redding will be trapped between deny him access to a good part of us and the powerful bossmen who his food and manufactured sup- still hold out in the Trinity, plies, and most especially to the Shasta, and Lassen regions. The bulk of his fuel alcohol. The very fact of our being here has backbone of our own side is the forced the enemy to evacuate the hossdoms, which are almost self- Columbia Valley, so that San eontained economie and social Francisco may be defended. It’s units. Before long they’ll be in an open question which side today better shape than the rootless army lias the larger territory.” they face. I think Judge Brodsky 28 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION will be back in San Francisco be- whole cause. You are free to march fore fall.” around our holdings and proceed "If your plans succeed,” Gaines to Calistoga.” said. Leaving a Fallonite nest at my "That’s our worry.” Mackenzie back, spang across my communi- leaned forward, one fist doubled cations southward. The teeth grat- on his knee. "Okay, Philosopher. I ed together in Mackenzie’s mouth. know you’d rather see Fallon come Gaines rose. “This discussion out on top, but I expect you’ve got is at an end, gentlemen,” he said. more sense than to sign up in a "You have one hour to get off our lost cause. Will you cooperate lands.” with us?” Mackenzie and Speyer stood "The Order takes no part in up too. "We’re not done yet,” the liolilical affairs, colonel, except major said. Sweat studded his wlion its own existence is endan- forehead and the long nose. “I gered.” want to make some further ex- "Oh, pipe down. Jly ‘cooperate’ planations.”

1 don’t mean anytliing but keeping Gaines crossed the room and out from under our feet.” opened the door. “Show these gen- "1 am afraid that would still tlemen out,” he said to the five count as cooperation. We cannot acolytes. have military establishments on “No, by God!” Mackenzie our lands.” shouted. He clapped a hand to his Mackenzie stared at Gaines’ sidearm. face, which had set into granite “Inform the adepts,” Gaines lines, and wondered if he had said. heard aright. “Are you ordering us One of the young men turned. off?” a stranger asked with his Mackenzie heard the slap-slap of voice. his sandals, running down the "Yes,” the Philosopher said. hall. Gaines nodded. “I think you "With our artillery zeroed in on had better go,” he said. your town?” Speyer grew rigid. His eyes “Would you really shell women shut. They flew open and he and children, colonel?” breathed, "Inform the adepts?” O Nora—“We don’t need to. Mackenzie saw the stiffness Our men can walk right in.” break in Gaines’ countenance. “Against psi blasts? I beg you There was no time for more than not to have those poor boys de- a second’s bewilderment. His body stroyed.” Gaines paused, then: “I acted for him. The gun clanked might also point out that by losing from his holster simultaneously your regiment you imperil your with Speyer’s. —

NO -IKUCE WITH KINGS 29

“Get that messenger, Jimbo,” commotion behind him. Phil must the major rapped. "I’ll keep these have them under control. Mac- birds covered.’’ kenzie pelted along the hall, into As he plunged forward, Mac- the entry chamber. Where had kenzie found himself worrying that goddamn runner gone? He about the regimental honor. Was looked out the open entrance, it right to open hostilities when onto the square. Sunlight hurt his you had come on a parley? But eyes. His breath came in painful Gaines had cut the talk off him- gulps, there was a stitch in his self side, yeah, he was getting old. “Stop him!” Gaines yelled. Blue robes fluttered from a The four remaining acolytes street. Mackenzie recognized the sprang into motion. Two of them messenger. The youth pointed at barred the doorway, the other two this building. A gabble of his moved in on either side. “Hold it words drifted faintly through or I’ll shoot!” Speyer cried, and Mackenzie’s pulse. There were was ignored. seven or eight men with him — old- Mackenzie couldn’t bring er men, nothing to mark their himself to fire on unarmed men. clothes . . . but Mackenzie knew a He gave the youngster before him high-ranking officer when he saw the pistol barrel in his teeth. one. The acolyte was dismissed. Bloody-faced, the Esper lurched Those whom he had summoned back. Mackenzie stiff-armed the crossed the square with long one coming in from the left. The strides. third tried to fill the doorway. Terror knotted Mackenzie’s Mackenzie put a foot behind his bowels. He put it down. A Cata- ankles and pushed. As he went mount didn’t stampede, even from down, Mackenzie kicked him in somebody who could turn him in- the temple, hard enough to stun, side out with a look. He could do and jumped over him. nothing about the wretchedness The fourth was on his back. that followed, though. If they Mackenzie writhed about to face clobber me, so much the better. I the man. Those arms that hugged won't lie awake nights wondering him, pinioning his gun, were bear how Laura is. strong. Mackenzie put the butt of The adepts were almost to the his free left hand under the fel- steps. Mackenzie trod forth. He low’s nose, and pushed. The aco- swept his revolver in an arc. lyte must let go. Mackenzie gave "Halt!” His voice sounded tiny in him a knee in the stomach, the stillness that brooded over the whirled, and ran. town. There was not much further They jarred to a stop and stood —

30 FANT.VSY .-VNO SCIENCE FICTION there in a group. He saw them en- defenseless. Allow me to conduct force a catlike relaxation, and you off these grounds.” their faces became blank visors. Mackenzie wet his lips. Weath- None spoke. Finally Mackenzie er had chapped them rough. “If was unable to keep silent. you can put a hex on me, go “This place is hereby occupied ahead,” he challenged. “Other- under the laws of war,” he said. wise scram.” “Go back to your quarters.” "Well, I shall not hinder you “What have you done with our from rejoining your men. It seems leader?” asked a tall man. His the easiest way of getting you to voice was even but deeply reso- leave. But I most solemnly warn nant. that any armed force which tries “Read my mind and find out,” to enter will be annihilated.” Mackenzie gibed. No, you’re being Guess I had better go get the childish. “He’s okay, long’s he boys, at that. Phil can’t mount keeps his nose clean. You too. guard on those guys forever. Beat it.” The tall man went over to the “We do not wish to pervert hitching post. “Which of these psionics to violence,” said the tall horses is yours?” he asked blandly. man. “Please do not force us.” Almighty eager to get rid of “Your chief sent for you before me, isn’t he — Holy hellfirel There we’d done anything,” Mackenzie must be a rear doort retorted. “Looks like violence was Mackenzie spun on his heel. what he had in mind. On your The Esper shouted. Mackenzie way.” dashed back through the entry The Espers exchanged glances. chamber. His boots threw echoes The tall man nodded. His com- at him. No, not to the left, there’s panions walked slowly off. "I only the office that way. Right . . . would like to see Philosopher around this corner Gaines,” the tall man said. A long hall stretched before “You will pretty soon.” him. A stairway curved from the “Am I to understand that he is middle. The other Espers were al- being held a prisoner?” ready on it. “Understand what you like.” "Halt!” Mackenzie called. “Stop

The other Espers were rounding or I’ll shoot!” the corner of the building. “1 The two men in the lead sped don’t want to shoot. Go on back onward. The rest turned and before I have to.” headed down again, toward him. “An impasse of sorts,” the tall He fired with care, to disable man said. “Neither of us wishes rather than kill. The hall rever- to injure one whom he considers berated with the explosions. One NO TRUCE WITH KINGS 31 after another they dropped, a bul- The Esper struggled for self- let in leg or hip or shoulder. With control. They waited through min- such small targets, Mackenzie utes that stretched. Then a noise missed some shots. As the tall began below. The Esper pointed. man, the last of them, closed in "We have nothing but agricultural from behind, the hammer clicked implements,” he said, “but you on an empty chamber. have only that blade. Will you Mackenzie drew his saber and surrender?” gave him the flat of it alongside Mackenzie spat on the floor. the head. The Esper lurched. The Esper went on down. Mackenzie got past and bounded Presently the attackers came up the stair. It wound like some- into view. There might be a hun- thing in a nightmare. He thought dred, judging from the hubbub liis heart was going to go to pieces. behind them, but because of the At the end, an iron door opened curve Mackenzie could see no on a landing. One man was fum- more than ten or fifteen — burly bling with the lock. The other fieldhands, their robes tucked high blue-robe attacked. and sharp tools aloft. The landing Mackenzie stuck his sword be- was too wide for defense. He ad- tween the Esper’s legs. As his op- vanced to the stairway, where ponent stumbled, the colonel they could only come at him two threw a left hook to the jaw. The at a time. man sagged against the wall. Mac- A couple of sawtoothed hay kenzie grabbed the robe of the oth- knives led the assault. Mackenzie er and hurled him to the floor. parried one blow and chopped. ‘Get out,” he rattled. His edge went into meat and They puHed themselves togeth- struck bone. Blood ran out, im- er and glared at him. He thrust possibly red, even in the dim air with his blade. "From now on light here. The man fell to all I aim to kill,” he said. fours with a shriek. Mackenzie “Get help, Dave,” said the one dodged a cut from the companion. who had been opening the door. Metal clashed on metal. The “I’ll watch him.” The other went weapons locked. Mackenzie’s arm unevenly down the stairs. The was forced back. He looked into a first man stood out of saber reach. broad suntanned face. The side of "Do you want to be destroyed?” he his hand smote the young man’s asked. larynx. The Esper fell against the Mackenzie turned the knob at one behind and they went down his back, but the door was still together. It took a while to clear locked. “I don’t think you can do the tangle and resume action. it. Not without what’s here.” A pitchfork thrust for the colo- 32 FANTASY .AND SCIENCE FICTION nel’s belly. He managed to grab it Okay, men, get that door open.” with his left hand, divert the The engineers took forth their tines, and chop at the fingers on tools and assailed the lock with a the shaft. A scythe gashed his vigor that must spring half from right side. He saw his own blood fear. “How’d you guys show up so but wasn’t aware of pain. A flesh soon?” Mackenzie asked. wound, no more. He swept his “I thought there’d be trouble,” saber back and forth. The fore- Speyer said, “so when I heard front retreated from its whistling shots I jumped through the win- menace. But God, my knees are dow and ran around to my horse. like rubber, 7 can’t hold out an- That was just before those clod- other five minutes. hoppers attacked you; I saw them A bugle sounded. There was a gathering as I rode out. Our caval- spatter of gunfire. The mob on the ry got in almost at once, of course, staircase congealed. Someone and the dogfaces weren’t far be- screamed. hind.” Hoofs banged across the ground “Any resistance?” floor. A voice rasped: “Hold ev- “No, not after we fired a few erything, there! Drop those weap- rounds in the air.” Speyer glanced ons and come on down. First man outside. “We’re in full possession tries anything gets shot.” now.” Mackenzie leaned on his saber Mackenzie regarded the door. and fought for air. He hardly no- “Well,” he said, “I feel better ticed the Espers melt away. about our having pulled guns on When he felt a little better, he them in the office. Looks like their went to one of the small windows adepts really depend on plain old and looked out. Horsemen were in weapons, huh? And Esper com- the plaza. Not yet in sight, but munities aren’t supposed to have nearing, he heard infantry. arms. Their charters say so. . . . Speyer arrived, followed by a That was a damn good guess of sergeant of engineers and several yours, Phil. How’d you do it?” privates. The major hurried to “I sort of wondered why the Mackenzie. “You okay, Jimbo? You chief had to send a runner to been hurt!” fetch guys that claim to be tele- “A scratch” Mackenzie said. paths. There we go!” He was getting back his strength, The lock jingled apart. The though no sense of victory accom- sergeant opened the door. Mac- panied it, only the knowledge of kenzie and Speyer went into the aloneness. The injury began to great room under the dome. sting. “Not worth a fuss. Look.” They walked around for a long “Yes, I suppose you’ll live. time, w’ordless, among shapes of "

NO TRUCE WITH KINGS 33 metaJ and less identifiable sub- psyche after all, hut merely have stances. Nothing was familiar. access to an advanced physical Mackenzie paused at last before a science. Not only will this lift helix which projected from a rebel spirits, but worse, it will transparent cube. Formless dark- cause many, perhaps most of the nesses swirled within the box, Order’s members to break away in sparked as if with tiny stars. disillusionment. “I figured maybe the Espers had “Not at once. News travels found a cache of old-time stuff, slowly under present conditions. from just before the Hellbombs,” Also, Mwyr, you underestimate he said in a muffled voice. "Ultra- the ability of the human mind to secret weapons that never got a ignore data which conflict with chance to be used. But this doesn’t cherished beliefs." look like it, think so?” "But—" “No,” Speyer said. "It doesn’t "Well, let us assume the worst. look to me as if these things were Let us suppose that faith is lost made by human beings at all.” and the Order disintegrates. That will be a serious setback to the "But do you not understand? plan, but not a fatal one. Psionics

They occupied a settlement I That was merely one bit of folklore we proves to the world that Espers found potent enough to serve as are not invulnerable. And to com- the motivator of a new orientation plete the catastraphe, they seized toward life. There are others, for its arsenal." example the widespread belief in "Have no fears about that. No magic among the less educated untrained person can activate classes. We can begin again on a

those instruments. The circuits different basis, if tve must. The are locked except in the presence exact form of the creed is not im- of certain encephalic rhythms portant. It is only scaffolding for which result from conditioning. the real structure: a cammunal, That same conditioning makes it anti-materialistic social group, to impossible for the so-called adepts which more and more people will to reveal any of their knowledge turn for sheer lack of anything to the uninitiated, no matter what else, as the coming empire breaks may be done to them." up. In the end, the new culture "Yes, I know that much. But it can and will discard whatever

is not what 1 had in mind. What superstitions gave it the initial im- frightens me is the fact that the petus." revelation will spread. Everyone "A hundred-year setback, at

H ill know the Esper adepts do not least." plumb unknown depths of the "True. It would he much more 34 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION difficult to introduce a radical But what of that? Those who be- alien element now, when the au- lieve in the Way will, as a rule, tochthonous society has developed simply be strengthened in their strong institutions of its own, than faith, by the very process of deny- it was in the past. I merely wish ing such ugly rumors. As more to reassure you that the task is not and more persons, common citi- impossible. 1 do not actually pro- zens as well as Espers, reject ma- pose to let matters go that far. The terialism, the legend will seem Espers can be salvaged." more and more fantastic. It will "How?" seem obvious that certain an- "We must intervene directly." cients invented the tale to account "Has that been computed as be- for a fact that they in their ig- ing unavoidable?” norance were unable to compre- "Yes. The matrix yields an un- hend." "1 ambigous answer. 1 do not like it see. . . any better than you. But direct ac- “You are not happy here, are tion occurs oftener than we tell you, Mwyr?" neophytes in the schools. The most "1 cannot quite say. Everything elegant procedure woidd of course is so distorted." be to establish such initial condi- "Be glad you were not sent to tions in a society that its evolution one of the really alien planets." along desired lines becomes auto- "1 might almost prefer that. matic. Furthermore, that would There would be a hostile environ- let us close our minds to the dis- ment to think about. One could tressing fact of our own blood forget how far it is to home." guilt. Unfortunately, the Great "Three years' travel."

Science does not extend down to "You say that so glibly. As if the details of day-to-day practi- three shipboard years were not cality. equal to fifty in cosmic time. As

"In the present instance, we if we could expect a relief vessel shall help to smash the reaction- daily, not once in a century. And

aries. The government will then ... as if the region that our ships proceed so harshly against its con- have explored amounts to one quered opponents that many of chip out of this one galaxy t" those who accept the story about "That region will groiv until what rvas found at St. Helena will someday it engulfs the galaxy!” not live to spread the tale. The ‘Yes, yes, yes. I knoiv. Why do

rest . . . well, they will be discred- you think I chose to become a ited by their own defeat. Admit- psychodynamician? Why am I tedly, the story will linger for life- here, learning how to meddle with times, whispered here and there. the destiny of a world where 1 do NO TRUCE WITH KINGS 35 not belong? ‘To create the union Angeles citymen. Soon after oc- of sentient beings, each member curred the Battle of Maricopa, species a step toward life’s mas- when the loyalists failed bloodily tery of the universe.’ Brave sloganl to break the stranglehold of the But in practice, it seems, only a Sierran rebels on the San Joaquin chosen few races are to be allowed Valley, and he was brevetted lieu- the freedom of that universe.” tenant colonel. The army was or- ‘‘No so, Mwyr. Consider these dered northward and moved wari- ones with whom we are, as you ly under the coast ranges, half ex- say, meddling. Consider what use pecting attack from the east. But they made of nuclear energy when the Brodskyites seemed too busy they had it. At the rate they are consolidating their latest gains. going, they will have it again The trouble came from guerrillas within a century or two. Not long and the hedgehog resistance of after that they will he building bossman Stations. After one par- spaceships. Even granted that ticularly stiff clash, they stopped time lag attenuates the effects of near Pinnacles for a breather. interstellar contact, those effects Danielis made his way through are cumulaive. So do you wish camp, where tents stood in tight such a band of carnivores turned rows between the guns and men loose on the galaxy? lay about dozing, talking, gam- "No, let them become inwardly bling, staring at the blank blue civilized first; then we shall see if sky. The air was hot, pungent they can be trusted. If not, they with cookfire smoke, horses, mules, will at least be happy on their own dung, sweat, boot oil; the green of planet, in a mode of life designed the hills that lifted around the for them by the Great Science. site was dulling toward summer Remember, they have an imifie- brown. He was idle until time for morial aspiration toward peace on the conference the general had earth; hut that is something they called, but restlessness drove him. will never achieve by themselves. By now I'm a father, he thought, I do not pretend to be a very good and I’ve never seen my kid. person, Mwyr. Yet this work that At that. I’m lucky, he reminded we are doing makes me feel not himself. I’ve got my life and altogether useless in the cosmos.” limbs. He remembered Jacobsen dying in his arms at Maricopa. Promotion was fast that year, You wouldn’t have thought the hu- casualties being so high. Captain man body could hold so much Thomas Danielis was raised to blood. Though maybe one was no major for his conspicuous part in longer human, when the pain was putting down the revolt of the Los so great that one could do nothing 36 F.VNTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION but shriek until the darkness came. “Well, I’ll try to put on a good And I used to think war was show for you.” Lambert reseated glamorous. Hunger, thirst, exhaus- himself and looked at the prison- tion, terror, mutilation, death, er, who stood with hunched shoul- and forever the sameness, bore- ders and widespread legs between dom grinding you down to an ox. his guards. “Now, sergeant, we’d

. . . I've had it. Vm going into busi- like to know a few tilings.” ness after the war. Economic in- “I don’t have to say nolliiug ex- tegration, as the bossman system cept name, rank, and home town,” breaks up, yes, there'll be a lot of the man growled. “You got those.” ways for a man to get ahead, but “Um-m-m, that’s ((ueslionable. decently, without a weapon in his You aren’t a foreign soldier, hand— Danielis realized he was you’re a rebel against the govern- repeating thoughts that were ment of your own country.” months old. What the hell else “Lhc hell I am! I’m an Echevar- was there to think about, though? ry man.” The large tent where prisoners “So what?” were interrogated lay near his “So my Judge is whoever Echev- path. A couple of privates were arry says. He says Brodsky. That conducting a man inside. The fel- makes you the rebel.” low was blond, burly, and sullen. “The law’s been changed.” He wore a sergeant’s stripes, but “Your mucking Fallon got no otherwise his only item of uni- right to change any laws. Espe- form was tlie badge of Warden cially part of the Constitution.

Echevarry, bossman in this part I’m no hillrunner, captain. I went of the coastal mountains. A lum- to school some. And every year our berjack in peacetime, Danielis Warden reads his people the Con- guessed from the look of him; a stitution.” soldier in a private army when- “Times have changed since it ever the interests of Echevarry was drawn,” Lambert said. His were threatened; captured in yes- tone sharpened. “But I'm not going terday’s engagement. to argue with you. How many ri- On impulse, Danielis followed. flemen and how many archers in He got into the tent as Captain your company?” Lambert, chubby behind a port- Silence. able desk, finished tire prelimi- “We can make things a lot naries. easier for you,” Lambert said. “Oh.” The intelligence officer “I’m not asking you to do any-

started to rise. "Yes, sir?” thing treasonable. All I want is "At ease,” Danielis said. “Just to confirm some information I’ve thought I’d listen in.” already got.” NO truce ViTTlI KINGS 37

The man shook his head an- ble edge and began to roll a ciga- grily. ret. “But you see, we aren’t in a Lambert gestured. One of the regular war. And so, by a curious privates stepped behind the cap- paradox, we have to follow the tive, took his arm, and twisted a conventions more carefully than little. ever before.” “Echevarry wouldn’t do that to “I don’t quite understand, sir.” me,” he said through white lips. Danielis finished the cigaret

“Of course not," Lambert said. and gave it to Lambert : olive 'You’re his man.” branch or something. He started “Think I wanna be just a num- another for himself. “The rebels ber on some list in Frisco? Damn aren’t rebels by their own lights,” right I’m my bossman’s man!” he said. “They’re being loyal to a Lambert gestured again. The tradition that we’re trying to curb,

private twisted harder. eventually to destroy. Let’s face it,

“Mold on, there,” Danielis the average bossman is a fairly barked. “Stop that!” good leader. He may be descended The private let go, looking sur- from some thug who grabbed pow- prised. The prisoner drew a sob- er by strong-arm methods during bing breath. the chaos, but by now' bis family’s “I’m amazed at you. Captain integrated itself with the region

Lambert,” Danielis said. He felt he rules. He knows it, and its peo- his own face reddening. “If this ple, inside out. He’s there in the has been your usual practice, flesh, a symbol of the community there’s going to be a courtmar- and its achievements, its folkways lial.” and essential independence. If "No, sir,” Lambert said in a you’re in trouble, you don’t have small voice. “Honest. Only . . . to work through some impersonal they don’t talk. Hardly any of bureaucracy, you go direct to your them. What’m I supposed to do?” bossman. His duties are as clearly “Follow the rules of war.” defined as your own, and a good “With rebels?” deal more demanding, to balance “Take that man away,” Dan- his privileges. He leads you in bat- ielis ordered. The privates made tle and in the ceremonies that baste to do' so. give color and meaning to life. “Sorry, sir,” Lambert muttered. Your fathers and his have worked “1 guess ... I guess I’ve lost too and played together for two or many buddies. I hate to lose more, three hundred years. The land is simply for lack of information.” alive with the memories of them. “Me too.” A compassion rose in You and he belong. Danielis. He sat down on the ta- “Well, that has to be sw'ept 38 FANTASY AND .SCIENCF ITCTKJN away, so we can go on to a higher much, and should even be able to level. But we won’t reach that gain something at the expense of level by alienating everyone. those who fight them to a finish.’ We’re not a conquering army; You see?” we’re more like the Householder “Y-yes. I guess so.” Guard putting down a riot in some ‘Tou’re a smart fellow, Lam- city. The opposition is part and bert. You don’t have to beat infor- parcel of our OAvn society.” mation out of prisoners. Trick it Lambert struck a match for him. out.” He inhaled and finished: ‘‘On a "I’ll try, sir.” practical plane, I might also re- “Good.” Danielis gl.iiKcd at the mind you, captain, that the feder- watch that bad lieen given liiin as al armed forces, Fallonite and per tradition, togellier willi a side- Brodskyite together, are none too arm, when he was lirsi commis- large. Little more than a cadre, in sioned. (Sneh items were much fact. We’re a bunch of younger too expensive for the common sons, countrymen who failed, man. Ibey had not lieen so in the poor citymen, adventurers, people age of mass production; and per- who look to their regiment for that haps in tlie coming age ) "I liave sense of wholeness they’ve grown to go. See you around.” up to expect and can’t find in ci- He left tlie lent feeling some- vilian life.” what more tbeerl'ul than before.

“You’re too deep for me, sir. I’m No doubt I am a naliind-born

afraid,” Lambert said. preacher, he admitted, mul I never “Never mind,” Danielis sighed. could quite join in the horseplay “Just bear in mind, there are a at mess, and a lot of joties go com- good many more fighting men out- pletely by me; but if I enn get even side the opposing armies than in. a few ideas across where they If the bossmen could establish a count, that's pleasure enoup,h. A unified command, tliat’d be the strain of music came to bim, some end of the Fallon government. men and a banjo under a tree, and Luckily, there’s too much provin- he found himself whist ling along. cial pride and too much geography It was good that ibis mucli morale between them for this to happen remained, after Maricopa and a — unless we outrage them beyond northward iriareb whose purpose endurance. What we want the or- had not been divulged to anybody. dinary freeholder, and even the The conferncce lent was big ordinary bossman, to tliink, is; enough to be called a jiavilion. ‘Well, those Fallonites aren’t such Two sentries stood at the entrance. bad guys, and if I keep on the right Danielis was nearly the last to ar- side of them I don’t stand to lose rive, and found himself at the end NO TRUCE WITH KINGS 39 of the table, opposite Brigadier “On the other hand, if this new General Perez. Smoke hazed the scheme pans out, we may break air and there was a muted buzz of the enemy’s back this very month.” conversation, but faces were taut. He paused to let that sink in be- ^Vhen the blue-robed figure fore continuing: with a Yang and Yin on the breast “The plan was worked out by entered, silence fell like a curtain. GHQ in conjunction rvith Esper Danielis was astonished to recog- Central in San Francisco, some nize Philosopher Woodworth. weeks ago. It’s—the reason we are He’d last seen the man in Los An- headed north ” He let the gasp geles, and assumed he would stay subside that ran through the sti- at the Esper center there. Must fling air. “Yes, you know that the have come here by special convey- Esper Order is neutral in political ance, under special orders. . . . disputes. But you also know that Perez introduced him. Both re- it defends itself when attacked. mained standing, under the eyes And you probably know that an at- of the officers. "I have some impor- tack was made on it, by the rebels. tant news for you, gentlemen,” They seized the Napa Valley set- Perez said most quietly. “You may tlement and have been spreading consider it an honor to be here. It malicious rumors about the Order means that in my judgment you since then. Would you like to com- can be trusted, first, to keep abso- ment on that. Philosopher Wood- lute silence about what you are go- worth?” ing to hear, and second, to execute The man in blue nodded and a vital operation of extreme diffi- said coolly: “We’ve our own ways culty.” Danielis was made shock- of findin’ out things — intelligence ingly aware that several men were service, you might say — so I can not present whose rank indicated give y’all a report of the facts. St. they should be. Helena was assaulted at a time “I repeat,” Perez said, "any when most of its adepts were away, breach of secrecy and the whole helpin’ a new community get start- plan is ruined. In that case, the ed out in Montana.” Hmv did they war will drag on for months or travel so fast? Danielis wondered. years. You know how bad our po- Teleport, or ^vhat? “I don’t know, sition is. You also know it will myself, if the enemy knew about grow still worse as our stocks of that or were just lucky. Anyhow, those supplies the enemy now de- when the two or three adepts that nies us are consumed. We could were left came and warned them even be beaten. I’m not defeatist to off, fightin’ broke out and the say that, only realistic. We could adepts were killed before they lose the war. could act.” He smiled. “We don’t :

40 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION claim to be immortal, except the “Not too fast, please,” the gen- way every livin’ thing is immortal. eral said. “The adepts are not go- Nor infallible, either. So now St. ing to go around blasting your op- Helena’s occupied. We don’t fig- ponents for you. It was one hell ure to take any immediate steps of a tough decision for them to do about that, because a lot of people as much as they agreed to, I, uh, in the community might get hurt. understand that the, nh, personal "As for the yarns the enemy development of every Esper will be command’s been handin’ out, well, set back many years by this much I reckon I’d do the same, if I had violence. They’re making a big a chance like that. Everybody sacrifice. knows an adept can do things that “By their cliarter, they can use nobody else can. Troops that real- psionics to defend an establish- ize they’ve done wrong to the Order ment against attack. Okay . . . are goin’ to be scared of super- an assault on San Francisco will natural revenge. You’re educated be construed as one on Central, men here, and know there’s nothin’ their world headquarters.” supernatural involved, just a way Tlie realization of what was to to use the powers latent in most of come was blinding to Danielis. He us. You also know the Order does- scarcely heard Perez’ carefully n’t believe in revenge. But the or- dry continuation dinary foot soldier doesn’t think “Let’s review the strategic pic- your way. His officers have got to ture. By now the enemy holds more restore his spirit somehow. So they than half of California, all of Ore- fake some equipment and tell him gon and Idaho, and a good deal of that’s what the adepts were really Washington. We, this army, we’re usin’ — an advanced technology, using the last land access to San sure, but only a set of machines, Francisco that we’ve got. The en- that can be put out of action if emy hasn’t tried to pinch that off you’re brave, same as any other yet, because the troops we pulled machine. That’s what happened. out of the north — those that aren’t “Still, it is a threat to the Order; in the field at present — make a and we can’t let an attack on our strong city garrison that’d sally people go unpunished, either. So out. He’s collecting loo much Esper Central has decided to help profit elsewhere to accept the cost. out your side. The sooner this “Nor can he invest the city war’s over, the better.” with any hope of success. We A sigh gusted around the table, still hold Puget Sound and the and a few exultant oaths. The hair southern California ports. Our stirred on Danielis’ necL Perez ships bring in ample food and mu- lifted a hand. nitions. His own sea power is NO truce with kings 41 much inferior to ours: chiefly “When he is well into the Pen- schooners donated by coastal boss- insula, with the ocean on his left men, operating out of Portland. and the Bay on his right, we will He might overwhelm an occasion- outflank him and attack from the al convoy, but he hasn’t tried that rear. The Esper adepts will be so far because it isn’t worth his there to help. Suddenly he’ll be trouble; there would be others, caught, between us and the cap- more heavily escorted. And of ital’s land defenses. What the course he can’t enter the Bay, with adepts don’t wipe out, we will. artillery and rocket emplacements Nothing will remain of the Sierra on both sides of the Golden Gate. Command but a few garrisons. The No, about all he can do is main- rest of the war will be a mopping tain some water communication up operation. with Hawaii and Alaska. “It’s a brilliant piece of strat- “Nevertheless, his ultimate ob- egy. Like all such, it’s damn diffi- ject is San Francisco. It has to be cult to execute. Are you prepared — the seat of government and in- to do the job?” dustry, the heart of the nation. Danielis didn’t raise his voice “Well, then, here’s the plan. with the others. He was thinking Our army is to engage the Sierra too hard of Laura. Command and its militia auxili- aries again, striking out of San Northward and to the right Jose. That’s a perfectly logical ma- there was some fighting. Cannon neuver. Successful, it would cut spoke occasionally, or a drumfire his California forces in two. We of rifles; smoke lay thin over the know, in fact, that he is already grass and the wind-gnarled live concentrating men in anticipation oaks which covered those hills. But of precisely such an attempt. down along the seacoast was only

“We aren’t going to succeed. surf, blowing air, it hiss of sand We’ll give him a good stiff battle across the dunes. and be thrown back. That’s the Mackenzie rode on the beach, hardest part: to feign a serious de- where the footing was easiest and feat, even convincing our own the view widest. Most of his regi- troops, and still maintain good or- ment were inland. But that was a der. We’ll have a lot of details to wilderness: rough ground, woods, thresh out about that. the snags of ancient homes, mak- “We’ll retreat northward, up ing travel slow and hard. Once the Peninsula toward Frisco. The this area had been densely peopled, enemy is bound to pursue. It will but the firestorm after the Hell- look like a God-given chance to bomb scrubbed it clean and to- destroy us and get to the city. day’s reduced population could 42 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

not make a go on such infertile been able to visit them at Mount soil. There didn’t even seem to be Lassen, after the northern cam- any foemen near this left wing of paign was over. “Rough,” he said. the army. “Rough on everybody,” Macken- The Rolling Stones had certain- zie said with a thick anger. “This ly not been given it for that reason. is a filthy war.” They could have borne the brunt Speyer shrugged. “No different at the center as well as those out- from most, except that this time fits which actually were there, Pacificans arc on the receiving as driving the enemy back toward well as the giving end.” San Francisco. They had been “You know damn well I never blooded often enough in this war, liked the business, anyplace.” when they operated out of Calisto- “What man in his right mind ga to help expel the Fallonites from docs?” northern California. So thorough- “Wlicn I want a sermon I’ll ask ly had that job been done that now for one.” only a skeleton force need remain “Sorry,” said Speyer, and meant

in charge. Nearly the whole Sierra it. Command had gathered at Mo- “I’m sorry too,” said Mackenzie, desto, met the northward-moving instantly contrite. “Nerves on edge. opposition army that struck at Damnation! I could almost wish for them out of San Jose, and sent it some action.” in a shooting retreat. Another day “Wouldn’t be surprised if we or so, and the white city should got some. This whole affair smells appear before their eyes. wrong to me.” And there the enemy will be Mackenzie looked around him. sure to make a stand, Mackenzie On the right the horizon was thought, with the garrison to re- bounded by hills, beyond which inforce him. And his positions tlie low but massive San Bruno will have to be shelled; maybe range lifted. Here and there he we’ll have to take the place street spied one of his own squads, afoot by street. Laura, kid, will you be or ahorse. Overhead sputtered a alive at the end? plane. But there was plenty of con- Of course, maybe it won’t hap- cealment for a redoubt. Hell could

pen that way. Maybe my scheme’ll erupt at any minute . . . though work and we’ll win easy —What a necessarily a small hell, quickly horrible word "maybe” is! He reduced by howitzer or bayonet, slapped his hands together with a casualties light. (Huh! Every one pistol sound. of those light casualties was a man Speyer threw him a glance. The dead, with women and children to major’s people were safe; he’d even weep for him, or a man staring at — —

NO TRUCE WITH KINGS 43 the fragment of his arm, or a man under the best of conditions, now with eyes and face gone in a burst dull-minded with weariness and of shot, and what kind of unsol- terrified of his daughter’s fate. For dierly thoughts were these?) himself he was haunted by the fear Seeking comfort, Mackenzie of certain crippling wounds. Of- glanced left. The ocean rolled ten he had to drink himself to greenish gray, glittering far out, sleep. He was shaved, because an rising and breaking in a roar of officer must maintain appearances, white combers closer to land. He but realized very well that if he smelled salt and kelp. A few gulls hadn’t had an orderly to do the job mewed above dazzling sands. for him he would be as shaggy as There was no sail or smokepuff any buck private. His uniform was only emptiness. The convoys from faded and threadbare, his body Puget Sound to San Francisco, and stank and itched, his mouth the lean swift ships of the coastal yearned for tobacco but tliere had bossmen, were miles beyond the been some trouble in the commis- curve of the world. sariat and they were lucky to eat. Which was as it should be. His achievements amounted to Maybe things were working out patchwork jobs carried out in ut- okay on the high waters. One ter confusion, or to slogging like could only try, and hope. And this and wishing only for an end

. . . it had been his suggestion, to the whole mess. One day, win or James Mackenzie speaking at the lose, his body would give out on conference General Cruikshank him — he could feel the machinery held between the battles of Mari- wearing to pieces, arthritic posa and San Jose; the same James twinges, shortness of breath, doz- Mackenzie who had first proposed ing off in the middle of things that the Sierra Command come and the termination of himself down out of the mountains, and would be as undignified and lonely who had exposed the gigantic as that of every other human slob. fraud of Esperdom, and succeeded Hero? What an all time laugh! in playing down for his men the He yanked his mind back to the fact that behind the fraud lay a immediate situation. Behind him a mystery one hardly dared think core of the regiment accompanied about. He would endure in the the artillery along the beach, a chronicles, that colonel, they thousand men with motorized gun would sing ballads about him for carriages, caissons, mule-drawn half a thousand years. wagons, a few trucks, one precious Only it didn’t feel that way. armored car. They were a dun James Mackenzie knew he was not mass topped with helmets, in loose much more than average bright formation, rifles or bows to hand. 44 F.\NTASY AND SCIENCU I'lCTlON

The sand deadened their footfalls, on all bands and you needed a so that only the surf and the wind powerful set to punch a signal could be heard. But whenever the even a few miles. Patrols must wind sank, Mackenzie caught the communicate by messenger. tune of the hex corps: a dozen He noticed that the firing in- leathery older men, mostly In- land had slacked off. There were dians, carrying the wands of pow- decent roads in the interior Pen- er and whistling together the Song insula a ways further north, where Against Witches. He took no stock some resettlement had taken place. in magic himself, yet when that The enemy, still in possession of sound came to him the skin that area, could use them to effect crawled along his backbone. rapid movements. Everything's in good order, he If they withdrew their center insisted. We're doing fine. and hit our flanks, where we’re Then: But Phil’s right. This is weakest — a screwball business. The enemy A voice from field HQ, barely should have fought through to a audible through the squeals and southward line of retreat, not let buzzes, took his report and gave themselves be boxed. back what had been seen else- Captain Hulse galloped close. where. Large maneuvers right and

Sand spurted when he checked his left, yes, it did seem as if the Fal- horse. “Patrol report, sir.” lonites were going to try a break- “Well?” Mackenzie realized he through. Could be a feint, though. had almost shouted. “Go ahead.” The main body of the Sierrans “Considerable activity observed must remain where it was until the about five miles northeast. Looks situation became clearer. The like a troop headed our way.” Rolling Stones must hold out a Mackenzie stiffened. “Haven’t while on their own. you anything more definite than “Will do.” Mackenzie returned that?” to the head of his columns. Speyer “Not so far, with the ground so nodded grimly at the word. broken.” “Better get prepared, hadn’t "Get some aerial reconnaissance we?” there, for Pete’s sake!” “Uh-huh.” Mackenzie lost him-

“Yes, sir. I’ll throw out more self in a welter of commands, as scouts, too.” officer after officer rode to him. “Carry on here, Phil.” Mackenzie The outlying sections were to be headed toward the radio truck. He pulled in. The beach was to be carried a minicom in his saddle- defended, with the high ground bag, of course, but San Francisco immediately above. had been continuously jamming Men scurried, horses neighed. NO TRUCE WITH KINGS 45 guns trundled about. The scout "Even then. Total numerical plane returned, flying low enough strengths are about equal, and to get a transmission through yes, we’ve got more ammo and alky. : definitely an attack on the way; Also a lot of bossman militia for liard to tell how big a force, auxiliaries, who’re used to disor- through the damned tree cover and ganized warfare in hilly—ground.” down in the damned arroyos, but “If we do whip them " Speyer it might well be at brigade shut his lips together. strength. "Go on,” Miackenzie said. Mackenzie established himself “Nothing.” on a hilltop with his staff and run- “The hell it is. You were about ners. A line of artillery stretched to remind me of the next step: beneath him, across the strand. how do we take the city without Cavalry waited behind them, too high a cost to both sides? Well, lances agleam, an infantry com- I happen to know we’ve got a hole pany for support. Otherwise the card to play there, which might foot soldiers had faded into the help.” landscape. The sea boomed its Speyer turned pitying eyes away own cannonade, and gulls began from Mackenzie. Silence fell on to gather as if they knew there the hilltop. would be meat before long. It was an unconscionably long "Think we can hold them?” time before the enemy came in Speyer asked. view, first a few outriders far down "Sure,” Mackenzie said. “If they the dunes, then the body of him, come down the beach, we’ll en- pouring from the ridges and gul- filade them, as well as shooting up lies and woods. Reports flickered their front. If they come higher, about Mackenzie — a powerful well, that’s a textbook example of force, nearly twice as big as ours, defensible terrain. ’Course, if an- but with little artillery; by now other troop punches through the badly short of fuel, they must de- lines further inland, we’ll be cut pend far more than we on animals off, but that isn’t our worry right to move their equipment. They now.” were evidently going to charge, "They must hope to get around accept losses in order to get sabers our army and attack our rear.” and bayonets among the Rolling “Guess so. Not too smart of Stones’ cannon. Mackenzie issued them, though. We can approach his directions accordingly. Frisco just as easily fighting back- The hostiles formed up, a mile wards as forwards.” or so distant. Through his field “Unless the city garrison makes glasses Mackenzie recognized a sally.” them, red sashes of the Madera 46 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

Horse, green and gold pennon of ward. Cannon bellowed. Fire the Dagos, fluttering in the iodine spurted through .smoke, sand gout- wind. He’d campaigned with both ed up, shrapnel sleeted over the outfits in the past. It was treach- charging force. At once the gun erous to remember that Ives fa- crews fell into the rhythm of re- vored a blunt wedge formation and loading, relaying, refiring, the use the fact against him. . . . steady three rounds per minute One enemy armored car and some which conserved barrels and broke fieldpieces, light horse-drawn armies. Horses screamed in their ones, gleamed wickedly in the sun- own tangled red guts. But not light. many had been hit. The Madera Bugles blew shrill. The Fal- cavalry continued in full gallop. lonite cavalry laid lance in rest Their lead was so close now that and started trotting. They gathered Mackenzie’s glasses picked out a speed as they went, a canter, a face, red, fcckled, a ranch boy gallop, until the earth trembled turned trooper, his mouth with them. Then their infantry got stretched out of shape as he yelled. going, flanked by its guns. The car The archers behind the defend- rolled along between the first and ing cannon let go. Arrows whis- second line of foot. Oddly, it had tled skyward, fliglit after flight, no rocket launcher on top or re- curved past the gulls and down peater barrels thrust from the fire again. Flame and smoke ran rag- slits. Those were good troops, ged in the wiry hill grass, out of Mackenzie thought, advancing in the ragged-leaved live oak copses. close order with that ripple down Men pitched to the sand, many the ranks which bespoke veterans. still hideously astir, like insects He hated what must happen. that had been stepped on. The His defense waited immobile on fieldpieces on the enemy left flank the sand. Fire crackled from the halted, swiveled about, and spat hillsides, where mortar squads and return fire. Futile . . . but God, riflemen crouched. A rider top- their officer had courage! Macken- pled, a dogface clutched his belly zie saw the advancing lines waver. and went to his knees, their com- An attack by his own horse and panions behind moved forward to foot, down the beach, ought to close the lines again. Mackenzie crumple them. “Get ready to looked to his howitzers. Men stood move,” he said into his minicom. tensed at sights and lanyards. Let He saw his men poise. the foe get well in range —There! 'The oncoming armored car Yamaguchi, mounted just rear- slewed to a halt. Something with- ward of the gunners, drew his sa- in it chattered, loud enough to ber and flashed the blade down- hear through the explosions. ”

NO TRUCE WITH KINGS 47

A blue-white sheet ran over the “No!” Mackenzie shouted. “The nearest hill. Mackenzie shut half- adepts must be in that car. Come blinded ej'es. When he opened on!” them again, he saw a grass fire Most of his horse had recoiled through the crazy patterns of after- on their own artillery, one squeal- image. A Rolling Stone burst from ing, trampling wreck. The infan- cover, howling, his clothes ablaze. try stood rigid, but about to bolt. The man hit the sand and rolled A glance thrown to his right over. That ,^.art of the beach lifted showed Mackenzie how the enemy in one monster wave, crested twen- themselves were in confusion, this ty feet high, and smashed across had been a terrifying surprise to the hill. The burning soldier van- them too, but as soon as they got ished in the avalanche that buried over the shock they’d advance his comrades. and there’d be nothing left to stop “Psi blast!” someone screamed, them. ... It was as if another thin and horrible, through chaos man spurred his mount. The ani- and ground-shudder. “The Espers mal fought, foam-flecked with it panic. He slugged its head around, Unbelievably, a bugle sounded brutally, and dug in spurs. They and the Sierran cavalry lunged rushed down the hill toward the forward. Past their own guns, on guns. against the scattering opposition He needed all his strength to

. . . and horses and riders rose halt the gelding before the cannon into the air, tumbled in a giant’s mouths. A man slumped dead by invisible whirligig, crashed bone- his piece, though there was no breakingly to earth again. The sec- mark on him. Mackenzie jumped ond rank of lancers broke. Mounts to the ground. His steed bolted. reared, pawed the air, wheeled and He hadn’t time to worry about fled in every direction. that. Where was help? “Come A terrible deep hum filled the here!” His yell was lost in the riot. sky. Mackenzie saw the world as But suddenly another man was be- if through a haze, as if his brain side him, Speyer, snatching up a were being dashed back and forth shell and slamming it into the between the walls of his skull. An- breach. Mackenzie squinted other glare ran across the hills, through the telescope, took a bear- higher this time, burning men ing by guess and feel. He could alive. see the Esper car where it squat- "They’ll wipe us out,” Speyer ted among dead and hurt. At this called, a dim voice that rose and distance it looked too small to fell on the air tides. —“They’ll re- have blackened acres. form as we stampede Speyer helped him lay the 48 F.VNT.CSV AND SCIKNCE FICTION

howitzer. He jerked the lanyard. unhuman instruments. His face Tire gun roared and sprang. The was hidden by blood. Mackenzie shell burst a few yards short of pitched the corp.se on its side and target, sand spurted and metal pulled off the robe. He snatched fragments whined. a curving tube of metal and tum- Speyer had the next one loaded. bled back out. Mackenzie aimed and fired. Over- Speyer was still in tbc undam- shot this time, but not by much. aged car, firing repeaters at those The car rocked. Concussion might hostiles who ventured near. Mac- have hurt die Espers inside; at kenzie jumped onto the ladder of

least, the psi blasts had stopped. the disabled machine, climbed to its But it was necessary to strike be- roof and stood erect. He waved the fore the foe got organized again. blue robe in one hand and the He ran toward his own regi- weapon be did not understand in mental car. The door gaped, the tbc other. “Come on, you sons!” he crew had fled. He threw himself shouted, tiny against the sea wind. into the driver’s seat. Speyer “VVc’vc knocked ’em out for you! clanged the door shut and stuck Want your breakfast in bed too?” bis face in the hood of the rocket One bullet buzzed past his ear. launcher periscope. Mackenzie Nothing else. Most of the enemy, raced the machine forward. The horse and foot, stayed frozen. In banner on its rooftop snapped in that immense stillness he could the wind. not tell if he heard surf or the Speyer aimed the launcher and blood in his own veins. pressed the firing button. The mis- Then a bugle called. The hex sile burned across intervening corps whistled triumphantly; their yards and exploded. The other car tomtoms thuttered. A ragged line lurched on its wheels. A hole of his infantry began to move to- opened in its side. ward him. hlorc followed. The If the boys will only rally and cavalry joined them, man by man advance — Well, if they don’t. I’m and unit by unit, on their flanks. done for anyway. Mackenzie Soldiers ran down the smoking squealed to a stop, flung open the hillsides. door and leaped out. Curled, Mackenzie sprang to sand again blackened metal framed his entry. and into his car. “Let’s get back,” He w'riggled through, into murk he told Speyer, “^^'e got a battle to and stenches. finish.” Two Espers lay there. The driv- er was dead, a chunk of steel "Shut up!” Tom Daniclis said. through his breast. The other one, Philosopher Woodworth stared the adept, whimpered among his at him. Fog swirled and dripped in —

NO TRUCE WITH KINGS 49 the forest, hiding the land and the “That’s why I proposed gettin’ brigade, gray nothingness through them in one group, too big to which came a muffled noise of men withstand,” Woodworth said. and horses and wheels, an isolated “And too cumbersome to be of and infinitely weary sound. The any value,” Danielis replied. He air was cold, and clothing hung felt more than a little sickened, heavy on the skin. knowing how the Order had cheat- "Sir,” protested Major Lescar- ed him his whole life; yes, he bault, eyes wide and shocked. thought, that was the real bitter- “I dare tell a ranking Esper to ness, not the fact that the adepts stop quacking about a subject of had failed to defeat the rebels which he’s totally ignorant?” by failing, essentially, to break Danielis answered. “Well, it’s past their spirit — but the fact that the time that somebody did.” adepts were only someone else’s Woodworth recovered his poise. cat’s paws and every gentle, ear- "All I said, son, was that we nest soul in every Esper commu- should consolidate our adepts and nity was only someone’s dupe. strike the Brodskyite center,” he Wildly he wanted to return to reproved. “What’s wrong with Laura — there’d been no chance that?” thus far to see her— Laura and the Danielis clenched his fists. kid, the last honest reality this

“Nothing,” he said, “except it in- fog-world had left him. He mas- vites a worse disaster than you’ve tered himself and went on more brought on us yet.” evenly: “A setback or two,” Lescarbault “The adepts, what few of them argued. “They did rout us on the survive, will of course be helpful west, but we turned their flank in defending San Francisco. An here by the Bay.” army free to move around in the “With the net result that their field can deal with them, one way main body pivoted, attacked, and or another, but your . . . your split us in half,” Danielis snapped. weapons can repel an assault on “The Espers have been scant use the city walls. So that’s where I’m since then . . . now the rebels going to take them.” know they need vehicles to trans- Probably the best he could do. port their weapons, and can be There was no word from the north- killed. Artillery zeroes in on their ern half of the loyalist army. positions, or bands of woodsmen Doubtless they’d withdrawn to the hit and run, leaving them dead, or capital, suffering heavy losses en the enemy simply goes around any route. Radio jamming continued, spot where they’re known to be. hampering friendly and hostile We haven’t got enough adepts!” communications alike. He had to 50 FANTASY ANT) SCIENCE FICTION take action, either retreat south- were sure to surrender to the first ward or fight his way through to rebels they came upon. the city. The latter course seemed He rode near the front, on a wisest. He didn’t believe that muddy road that snaked over the Laura had much to do with his highlands. His helmet was a mon- choice. strous weight. The horse stumbled “I’m not adept myself,” Wood- beneath him, exhauted by—how worth said. "I can’t call them mind many days? — of march, counter- to mind.” march, battle, skirmisli, thin ra- "You mean you can’t use their tions or none, heat and cold and equivalent of radio,” Danielis said fear, in an empty land. Poor beast, brutally. “Well, you’ve got an he’d see that it got proper treat- adept in attendance. Have him ment when they reached the city. pass the word.” That all those poor beasts behind Woodworth flinched. “I hope,” him did, after trudging and fight- he said, "I hope you understand ing and trudging again until their this came as a surprise to me too.” eyes were filmed with fatigue. “Oh, yes, certainly, Philos- There’ll he chance enough for opher,” Lescarbault said unbidden. rest in San Francisco. We’re im-

Woodworth swallowed. “I still pregnable there, walls and cannon hold with the Way and the Or- and the Esper machines to land- der,” he said harshly. “There’s ward, the sea that feeds us at our nothin’ else I can do. Is there? The backs. We can recover our Grand Seeker has promised a full strength, regroup our forces, bring explanation when this is over.” fresh troops down from Washing- He shook his head. “Okay, son. I’ll ton and up from the south by wa- do what I can.” ter. The war isn’t decided yet . . . A certain compassion touched God help us.

Danielis as the blue robe disap- I wonder if it will ever be. peared into the fog. He rapped his And then, will Jimbo Macken- orders the more severely. zie come to see us, sit by the fire and Slowly his command got going. swap yarns about what we did? He was with the Second Brigade; Or talk about something else, any- the rest were strewn over the Pen- thing else? If not, that’s too high insula in the fragments into which a price for victory. the rebels had knocked them. He Maybe not too high a price for hoped the equally scattered adepts, what we’ve learned, though. joining him on his march through Strangers on this planet . . . the San Bruno range, would guide what else could have forged those some of those units to him. But weapons? The adepts will talk if 1 most, wandering demoralized, myself have to torture them till — ”

NO TRUCE WITH KINGS 51 they do. But Danielis remembered “What?” Danielis blinked, not tales muttered in the fisher huts quite comprehending. of his boyhood, after dark, when “Yes,— sir. I’ve been using a mini- ghosts walked in old men’s minds. corn ” Lescarbault lifted the Before the holocaust there had wrist on which his tiny transceiver been legends about the stars, and was strapped — “for very short- the legends lived on. He didn’t range work, passing the battalion know if he would be able to look commanders their orders. The in- again at the night sky without a terference stopped a couple of shiver. minutes ago. Clear as daylight.” This damned fog Danielis pulled the wrist to- Hoofs thudded. Danielis half ward his own mouth. “Hello, hel- drew his sidearm. But the rider lo, radio wagon, this is the C.O. was a scout of his own, who raised You read me?” a drenched sleeve in salute. "Col- “Yes, sir,” said the voice. onel, an enemy force about ten “They turned off the jammer in miles ahead by road. Big.” the city for a reason. Get me the So we’ll have to fight now. “Do open military band.” they seem aware of us?” “Yes, sir.” Pause, while men “No, sir. They’re proceeding mumbled and water runneled un- east along the ridge there.” seen in the arroyos. A wraith “Probably figure to occupy the smoked past Danielis’ eyes. Drops Candlestick Park ruins,” Danielis coursed off his helmet and down murmured. His body was too tired his collar. The horse’s mane hung for excitement. “Good stronghold, sodden. that. Very well, corporal.” He Like the scream of an insect: “ turned to Lescarbault and issued —here at once! Every unit in instructions. the field, get to San Francisco at The brigade formed itself in the once! We’re under attack by sea!” formlessness for combat. Patrols Danielis let go Lescarbault’s went out. Information began to arm. He stared into emptiness flow back, and Danielis sketched a while the voice wailed on and for- plan that ought to work. He didn’t ever on. “ want to try for a decisive engage- —bombarding Potrero Point. ment, only brush the enemy aside Decks jammed with troops. They and discourage them from pursuit. must —figure to make a landing His men hust be spared, as many there as possible, for the city defense Danielis’ mind raced ahead of and die eventual counter-offensive. the words. It was as if Esp were no Lescarbault came back. “Sir! lie, as if he scanned the beloved The radio jamming’s ended!” city himself and felt her wounds 52 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION in his own fltesh. There was no fog southern gates, and Laura withotit around the Cate, of course, or so me. detailed a description could not “We’re coming!” Danielis have been given. Well, probably yelled. His brigade groaned into some streamers of it rolled in un- speed behind him. They struck der the rusted remnants of the with a desperate ferocity that car- bridge, themselves like snowbanks ried them deep into enemy posi- against blue-green water and bril- tions and then stranded them in liant sky. But most of the Bay stood separated groups. It became knife open to the sun. On the opposite and saber in the fog. But Danielis, shore lifted the Eastbay hills, green because he led the charge, had al- with gardens and agleam with vil- ready taken a grenade on his las; and Marin shouldered heaven- breast. ward across the strait, looking to the roofs and w'alls and heights East and south, in the harbor that were San Francisco. The con- district and at the wreck of the voy had gone between the coast Peninsula wall, there was still defenses that could have smashed some fighting. As he rode higher, it, an unusually large convoy and Mackenzie saw how those parts not on time: but still the familiar were dimmed by smoke, which the hig-bellied hulls, white sails, oc- wind scattered to show rubble that casional fuming stacks, that kept had been houses. The sound of fir- the city fed. There had been an ex- ing drifted to him. But otherwise planation about trouble with com- the city shone untouched, roofs merce raiders; and the fleet was and white walls in a web of streets, passed on into the Bay, where San church spires raking the sky like Francisco had no walls. Then the masts. Federal House on Nob Hill gun covers were taken off and the and the Watchtower on Telegraph holds vomited armed men. Hill as he remembered them from Yes, they did seize a convoy, childhood visits. The Bay glittered those piratical schooners. Used ra- insolently beautiful. dio jamming of their own; together But he had no time for admiring with ours, that choked off any cry the view, nor for wondering where of warning. They threw our sup- Laura huddled. The attack on plies overboard and embarked the Twin Peaks must he swift, for bossman militia. Some spy or trai- surely Esper Central would defend tor gave them the recogjiition sig- itself. nals. Now the capital lies open to On the avenue clunbing the op- them, her garrison stripped, hardly posite side of those great humps, an adept left in Esper Central, the Speyer led half the Rolling Stones. Sierrans thrusting against her (Yamaguchi lay dead on a pock- —

NO truce with kings 53 marked beach.) Mackenzie him- and a roar. The pavement lay

.sclf was taking this side. Horses trenched, molten, smoking and flopped along Portola, between reeking. Mackenzie wrestled his blankly shuttered mansions; guns horse to a standstill. A warning trundled and creaked, boots only. But if they had enough knocked on pavement, moccasins adepts to handle us, would they slithered, weapons rattled, men bother trying to scare us off? “Artil- breathed heavily and the hex corps lery, open fire!” whistled against unknown de- The field guns bellowed to- mons. But silence overwhelmed gether, not only howitzers but mo- the noise, echoes trapped it and let torized 75’s taken along from Ale- it die. Mackenzie recollected many Gate’s emplacements. Shells nightmares when he fled down a went overhead with a locomotive corridor which had no end. Even if sound. They burst on the walls they don’t cut loose at us, he above and the racket thundered thought bleakly, tve’ve got to seize back down the wind. their place before our nerve gives Mackenzie tensed himself for out. an Esper blast, but none came. Twin Peaks Boulevard turned Had they knocked out the final de- off Portola and wound steeply to fensive post in their own first bar- the right. The houses ended; wild rage? Smoke cleared from the grasses alone covered the quasi- heights and he saw that the colors sacred hills, up to the tops where which played in the tower were stood the buildings forbidden to dead and that wounds gaped all but adepts. Those two soaring, across loveliness, showing unbe- iridescent, fountainlike skyscrap- lievably thin framework. It was like ers had been raised by night, with- seeing the bones of a woman mur- in a matter of weeks. Something dered by his hand. like a moan stirred at Mackenzie’s Quick, though! He issued a back. string of commands and led the “Bugler, sound the advance. On horse and foot on. The battery the double!” stayed where it was, firing and A child’s jeering, the notes lift- firing with hysterical fury. The ed and were lost. Sweat stung dry brown grass started to burn, Mackenzie’s eyes. If he failed and as red-hot fragments scattered was killed, that didn’t matter across the slope. Through mush- too much . . . after everything room bursts, Mackenzie saw the which had happened . . . but building crumble. Whole sheets of the regiment, the regiment facing broke and fell to earth. The Flame shot across the street, the skeleton vibrated, took a direct hit color of hell. There went a hiss and sang in metal agony. !

54 FANT.VSY AND SCIliNCK I-ICTION

What was that which stood umph. At St. Helena be had come witliin? to appreciate how fundamentally There were no separate rooms, good the believers w'crc. no floors, nothing but girders, enig- But this was no moment for re- matie machines, here and there a gret, or for wondering how harsh globe still aglow like a minor sun. the future would be with man The structure had enclosed some- taken entirely off tbe leash. The thing nearly as tall as itself, a building on the other peak was finned and shining column, almost still intact. He had to consolidate like a rocket shell but impossibly his position here, then help Phil huge and fair. if need be. Their spaceship, Mackenzie However, the minicom said, thought in the clamor. Yes, of “Come on and join me, Jimbo. course, the ancient had begun The fracas is over,” before he had making spaceships, and we always completed his task. As he rode figured we would again someday. alone toward Speyer’s place, he This, though — saw a Pacific States flag flutter up The archers lifted a tribal the mast on that skyscraper’s top. screech. The riflemen and cavalry Guards stood awed and nervous took it up, crazy, jubilant, the at the portal. Mackenzie dismount- howl of a beast of prey. By Satan, ed and walked inside. The entry we’ve whipped the stars them- chamber was a soaring, shimmer- selves! As they burst onto the hill- ing fantasy of colors and arches, crest, the shelling stopped, and through which men moved troll- their yells overrode the wind. like. A corporal led him down a Smoke was acrid as blood smell in hall. Evidently this building had their nostrils. been used for quarters, offices, stor- A few dead blue-robes could be age, and less understandable pur- seen in the debris. Some half doz- poses. . . . There was a room en survivors milled toward the whose door had been blown down ship. A bowman let fly. His arrow with dynamite. The fluid abstract glanced off the landing gear but murals were stilled, scarrcti, and brought the Espers to a halt. Troop- sooted. Four ragged troopers point- ers poured over the shards to cap- ed guns at the two beings whom ture them. Speyer was questioning. Mackenzie reined in. Some- One slumped at something that thing that was not human lay might answer to a desk. The avian crushed near a machine. Its blood face was buried in seven-fingered was deep violet color. When the hands and the ridumentary wings people have seen this, that’s the quivered with sobs. Are they able end of the Order. He felt no tri- to cry, then? Mackenzie thought. —” ”

NO TRUCE WITH KINGS 55

astonished, and had a sudden wish ty left alive, this fellow the boss- to take the being in his arms and man. Seems like they’re the only offer what comfort he was able. ones on Earth.” The other one stood erect in a “We guessed there couldn’t be robe of woven metal. Great topaz many,” the colonel said. His tone eyes met Speyer’s from a seven- and his feelings were alike ashen. foot height, and the voice turned "When we talked it over, you and accented English into music. me, and tried to figure what our “ — a G-type star some fifty clues meant. They’d have to be light-years hence. It is barely visi- few, or they’d’ve operated more ble to the naked eye, though not openly.” in this hemisphere.” "Listen, listen,” the being The major’s fleshless, bristly pleaded. “We came in love. Our countenance jutted forward as if dream w'as to lead you — to make to peck. “When do you expect re- you lead yourselves — tow'ard

inforcements?” peace, fulfillment. . . . Oh, yes, “There will be no other ship for we would also gain, gain yet an-

almost a century, and it will only other race with whom we could bring personnel. We are isolated someday converse as brothers. But by space and time; few can come there are many races in the uni- to work here, to seek to build—a verse. It was chiefly for your own bridge of minds across that gulf tortured sakes that we wished to “Yeah,” Speyer nodded prosai- guide your future.” cally. “The light-speed limit. I “That controlled history notion thouglit so. If you’re telling the isn’t original with you,” Speyer

truth.” grunted. “We’ve invented it for The being shuddered. “Nothing ourselves, now and then on Earth.

is left for us but to speak truth, The last time it led to the Elell- and pray that you will understand bombs. No, thanks!” and help. Revenge, conquest, any “But we ktiowl The Great Sci- form of mass violence is impossible ence —predicts with absolute cer- when so much space and time lies tainty between. Our labor has been done "Predicted this?” Speyer waved in the mind and heart. It is not too a hand at the blackened room. late, even now. The most crucial “There are fluctuations. We are facts can still be kept hidden too few to control so many savages oh, listen to me, for the sake of in every detail. But do you not your unborn!” wish an end to war, to all your an- Speyer nodded to Mackenzie. cient sufferings? I offer you that "Everything okay?” he said. “We for your help today.” got us a full bag here. About twen- "You succeeded in starting a ” —

56 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

pretty nasty war yourselves,” you ever stop to think that maybe Speyer said. feudalism is what suits man? The being twisted its fingers to- Some one place to call our own, gether. “That was an error. The and belong to, and be part of; a plan remains, the only way to lead community with traditions and your people toward peace. I, who honor; a chance for the individual have traveled between suns, will to make decisions that count; a get down— before your boots and bulwark for liberty against the beg you central overlords, who’ll always "Stay put!” Speyer flung back. want more and more power; a "If you’d come openly, like honest thousand different ways to live. folk, you’d have found some to lis- We’ve always built super-coun- ten to you. Maybe enough, even. tries, here on Earth, and we’ve al- But no, your do-gooding had to be ways knocked them apart again.

subtle and crafty. You knew what I think maybe the whole idea is was right for us. We weren’t en- wrong. And maybe this time we’ll titled to any say in the matter. God try something better. Why not a in heaven. I’ve never heard any- world of little states, too well root-

thing so arrogant!” . ed to dissolve in a nation, too The being lifted its head. “Do small to do much harm — slowly you tell children the whole truth?” rising above petty jealousies and “As much as they’re ready for.” spite, but keeping their identities “Your child-culture is not ready — a thousand separate approaches to hear these truths.” to our problems. Maybe then w'e “Who qualified you to call us can solve a few of them ... for children — besides yourselves?” ourselves!” “How do you know you are “You will never do so,” the being adult?” said. “You will be torn in pieces “By trying adult jobs and find- all over again.” ing out if I can handle them. “That’s what you think. I think Sure, we make some ghastly blun- otherwise. But whichever is right ders, we humans. But they’re our — and I bet this is too big a uni- own. And we learn from them. verse for either of us to predict You’re the ones who won’t learn, we’ll have made a free choice on you and that damned psychologi- Earth. I’d rather be dead than do- cal science you were bragging mesticated.

about, that wants to fit every liv- “The people are going to learn ing mind into the one frame it can about you as soon as Judge Brod- understand. sky’s been reinstated. No, sooner. “You wanted to re-establish the The regiment will hear today, the centralized state, didn’t you? Did city tomorrow, just to make sure no NO truce with kings 57 one gets ideas about suppressing *1 learned the day before yes- the truth again. By the time your terday, when a few of his men next spaceship comes, we’ll be straggled home. He was killed in ready for it : in our own way, what- the San Bruno.” ever that is.” Mackenzie did not dare join The being drew a fold of robe her, but his legs would not upbear about its head. Speyer turned to him. He sat down on the flagstones Mackenzie. His face was wet. and saw curious patterns in their

“Anything . . . you want to say arrangement. There was nothing

. . . Jimbo?” else to look at. "No,” Mackenzie mumbled. Her voice ran on above him, “Can’t think of anything. Let’s get toneless: “Was it worth it? Not our command organized here. I only Tom, but so many otliers, don’t expect we’ll have to fight any killed for a point of politics?” more, though. It seems to be about “More than that was at stake,” ended down tliere.” he said. “Sure.” Speyer drew an uneven “Yes, I heard on the radio. I still breath. “The enemy troops else- can’t understand how it was worth where are bound to capitulate. it. I’ve tried very hard, but I can’t.” They’ve got nothing left to fight He had no strength left to de- for.” fend himself. “Maybe your’re right, duck. I wouldn’t know.” There was a house with a patio “I’m not sorry for myself,” she whose wall was covered by roses. said. “I still have Jimmy. But The street outside had not yet Tom was cheated out of so much.” eome back to life, so that silence He realized all at once that dwelt here under the yellow sun- there was a baby, and he ought to set. A maidservant showed Mac- take his grandchild to him and kenzie through the back door and think thoughts about life going on departed. He walked toward Laura, into the future. But he was too who sat on a bench beneath a wil- empty. low. She watched him approach “Tom wanted him named after but did not rise. One hand rested you,” she said. on a cradle. Did you, Laura? he wondered. He stopped and knew not what Aloud: "What are you going to do to say. How thin she was! now?” Presently she told him, so low “I’ll find something.” he could scarcely hear: "Tom’s He made himself glance at her. dead.” The sunset burned on the willow “Oh, no.” Darkness came and leaves above and on her face, went before his eyes. which was now turned toward the ” ”

58 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION infant he could not see. "Come you think you’ll want to have me.” back to Nakamura,” he said. Then she came to his arms and “No. Anywhere else.” wept. He stroked her hair and mur- “You always loved—the moun- mured, as he had done when she tains,” he groped. “We was a child. “You do waht to re- “No.” She met his eyes. “It isn't turn to the mountains, don’t you? you. Dad. Never you. But Jimmy They’re your country too, your is not going to grow up a soldier.” people, where you belong.” She hesitated. “I’m sure some of “Y-you’ll never know how much the Espers will keep going, on a I want to.” new basis, but with the same goals. “Then why not?” he cried. I think we should join them. He His daughter straightened her- ought to believe in something dif- self. “I can’t,” she said. “Your war ferent from what killed his father, is ended. Mine has just begun.” and work for it to become real. Because he had trained that wiU, Don’t you agree?” he could only say, “I hope you Mackenzie climbed to his feet win it.” — against Earth’s hard pull. “I don’t “Perhaps in a thousand years know,” he said. “Never was a She could not continue. thinker. . . . Can I see him?” Night had fallen when he left “Oh, Dad—” her. Power was still out in the He went over and looked down city, so the street lamps were at the small sleeping form. “If you dark and the stars stood forth above marry again,” he said, “and have all roofs. The squad that waited to a daughter, would you call her for accompany their colonel to bar- her mother?” He saw Laura’s head racks looked wolfish by lantern bend downward and her hands light. They saluted him and rode clench. Quickly he said, “I’ll go at his back, rifles ready for trou- now. I’d like to visit you some ble; but there was only the iron more, tomorrow or sometime, if sound of horsehoes. THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE, in the PSA . . . Underground? Philip K. Dick, Putnam, $3.95 What underground? There was (in our time continuum) one This is a remarkable book. Just against the Germans and the Jap- how remarkable it is is little sug- anese, but that was while the war gested by the basic premise, which was still on; there was none after- is that the United States lost the wards — and there is none in this Second World War. Other writ- post-war America, either. Had Mr. ers, such as Budrys and Korn- Dick posited one, he would have bluth, have based stories on this had another bam pow Tonight notion, but in neither case was We-Liberate-Chicago adventure the story one of their best. If Mr. story: he has been too clever to Dick ever writes anything better fall into that trap. Given even a than this (indeed, if he ever slight opportunity, people— if writes anything else as good), he completely conquered— tend to deserves to take his place among admire their conquerors, and the foremost in the field; how he then, logically enough, to emu- has escaped my notice until now, late them. I cannot sufficiently 1 own to you I do not know. I praise the dexterous way in which don’t think he will elude me he shows that process; for exam- again. ple, in the relationship between The United States of America R. Childan, owner of Artistic lost the Second World War. The American Handicrafts, Inc. — his United States of America now oc- good customer, Mr. Tagomi, offi- cupies less territory than it did cial of the Japanese Trade Mis- prior to the Mexican War; and is sion (the de facto rulers of the a puppet of Nazi Germany. The PSA) — and Mr. and Mrs. Ka- Pacific States of America go the soura, a young couple here on a way Imperial Japan wants them to sort of Nipponese Point Four Pro- go. And in between, poor but gram. It may seem easy enough to more-or-less free, are the Rocky reverse what happened to and in Alountain States. Some of the ac- Japan vis-a-vis the Americans af- tion takes place there; most of it ter 1945; to do it at all might be 59 —

60 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

easy, but Mr. Dick has done it he has them thinking like Japa- it^ell. Which is quite another nese, with dreadful concern over thing. face and manners. Well. Perhaps

. . the gum-chewing boor- a minor point, and I don’t want to

ish [Japanese] draftees with their get hung up on it. But it’s very ef- greedy peasant faces, wandering fective.

up Market Street, gaping at the There is Tagomi; Tagomi is bawdy shows, the sex movies, the aw’aiting Mr. Baynes, a Swedish shooting galleries, the cheap businessman who is deeply inter- nightclubs with photos of middle- ested in something more than aged blondes holding their nipples Sweden and business; there is between their wrinkled fingers Frank Frink, a master craftsman

and leering . . . the honky-tonk and a war veteran who has not jazz slums that made up most of only forgiven his conquerors, he is the flat part of San Francisco, thankful for them — Frink is a Jew, rickety tin and board shacks that it is death to be a Jew nowadays had sprung up from the ruins in the USA, but in the PSA “these even before the last bomb fell. civilized bandy-legged little

[. . .] ‘I could arrange to arrive shrimps . . . would no more set

at your apartment, yes,’ Childan up gas ovens than they would I said. ‘Bringing several hand cases, melt their wives into sealing wax.” I can suggest in context, at your (The Japanese are still consolidat- leisure. Tliis, of course, is our spe- ing the Co-Prosperity Sphere; the i cialty.’ He dropped his eyes so as Germans are moving into outer ,

to conceal his hope. There might space; there are no more Russians 1 be thousands of dollars involved. to of.) ex-wife, speak Frank’s Juli- i ‘I am getting in a New England ana, is wandering through the table, maple, all wood-pegged, no RMS with a strange, intent for- nails. Immense beauty and worth. eigner who talks endlessly of the And a mirror from the time of the glories of Fascism. Everybody is 1812 War. And also the aborigi- reading and talking about a book nal art: a group of vegetable-dyed called The Grasshopper Lies goat-hair rugs.’ ” I don’t know, I Heavy, by Hawthorne Abendsen,

j may not be picking the right pas- who lives in a house — the High sage with this last quote; but Castle — protected by barbed wire time after time Mr. Dick clearly and machine-guns; the reason? ; shows his Americans either speak- Grasshopper dares to depict a ing imperfectly in Japanese or at- world in which the Allied, and not tempting to speak English like the Axis Powers, won the Second Japanese —but he never says that World War. Juliana and her es- this is what he is doing; sometimes cort are looking for him. —

BOOKS 61

But Abendsen is not the princi- Just what Mr. Dick intends to im- pal personality of Mr. Dick’s book, ply or declare about the nature of nor is Childan, Tagomi, Baynes, the present by his use of the Book Frank, nor Juliana. The principal of Changes, I do not know. But personality is the millennia-old I whatever it may be, the effect is Ching, the Book of Changes, an fascinating. As is, of course, the oracular work—Tagomi uses it, whole book. It’s all here— extrapo- Frank uses it, so does Juliana; and lation, suspense, action, art, phi- her search for Abendsen is based losophy, plot, character: really, a partly on her conviction that he superior work of fiction. Don’t uses it, too. In calling this vener- take it out of the library buy it! able Chinese work “a personality” I have been preceded, I find, by MARCH OF THE ROBOTS, Gary Jen- the late C. G. Jung, and from his nings, Dial, $2.95 preface to the translation* con- tinually referred to by Mr. Dick I Contents of this children’s book quote the followin2 : “For more are summed up in the subtitle. than thirty years [written in From The Mannikins Of Antiquity 1949] I have interested myself in To The Space Robots Of Tomor- this oracle technique, or method of row. It contains some bits of in- exploring the unconscious ... I formation not generally met with was already fairly familiar with elsewhere — such as the descrip- the 1 Ching [. . .] to see the I tion of “The UnkiUable Man” of Ching at work ... I personified Hero of Alexandria —which might .” the book in a sense . . And he engage the attention of the adult goes into details of his consulting purchaser briefly before passing it the oracle, and his conviction that on to the recipient. Illustrations. its replies were correct. A steady appeal to it has to be based on be- THE PLANETS, Patrick Moore, Nor- lief in chance and the suprasig- ton, $5.95 nificant configurations of the mo- ment; it is opposed to causality. It Did you know that Venus is some- has always seemed to me that Len- times so bright that it can cast a inism and Psychoanalysis were shadow, just like the sun and the alike in denying causality; Jung moon? Have you ever heard of the says here that “The axioms of “bright caps at the horns or cups causahty are being shaken to their of Venus”? They may be eleva- foundations” by modern physics. tions above the perpetual cloud-

* The I Ching or Book of Changes / The Richard Wilhelm Translation / Rendered Into English By Cary F. Baynes [!], London, Routeledge

bank, or polar frosts, or atmos- The title short novel is hy William ! pheric phenomena, or just contrast Tenn, and shows him at very ; effects. Were you ware that Low- good advantage, too — until the ell, who “saw” all those “canals” conclusion. Five people from our on Mars, also spent twenty-four time are on a tourist-trip five cen- years carefully charting markings turies into the future; counter- on the Cytherean"^ surface which weight, so to speak, are five people — it now appears — were never from the Twenty-Fifth Century, of there? Had it occurred to you that the exact same temporal and phys- Mercury is not only the hottest ical measurements, who are vi.sit- planet, but also the coldest? I se- ing MS. In order for the re-ex- lect a tiny sprinkling of interest- change to take place, all ten peo- ing items from this interesting ple must be on hand at the time book. I note that the Nebular appointed. Four of our folks are Hypothesis is Out, the Tidal The- ready, eager, to go back. Only ories of tlie Semi-Colliding Suns is Winthrop isn’t ready. He likes it Out, the Exploding Binary Expla- in the Future, doesn’t care if his nation is Out . . . but not so far refusal to return strands the oth- out as the others; the Magnetic ers; and, according to 25th C. Forces— Solar Cloud Theory is law, he can’t he forced. Mr. coming In. Moore cheers us with Tenn’s wit and style Che is par- the info that the sun will not just ticularly good on the relationship peter out and freeze us, as we between the pin-headed but sexy used to believe: No, instead, it girl and her brief-time beau) keep will first flare up and incinerate us amused and wondering how us. Vulcan, the so-called Trans- the problem is to be solved. I Mercurian planet, n’existe pas doubt if he himself had any idea ... a shame; it will be missed, when he started the story, and I’d though who needs it? Avram, you venture that the then-editor of sentimental fool. The book con- GALAXY called him once too tains Antoniadi’s standard chart often about the deadline. At any of Mercury, which I’d never seen rate, the end is a disappointment. before, including the fascinatingly- To Marry Medusa is, like his per- named Solitude of Hermes Trisme- haps more famous More Than Hu- gistus. Lots of pictures. man, Theodore Sturgeon’s inquiry into the possibility of collective TIME WAITS FOR WINTHROP, Fred- inter-identity— if everybody had erik Pohl, ed.. Doubleday, $3.95 everybody else’s knowledge. An inter-galactic mass-mind attempts “And Four Other Short Novels to join up the mass-mind of Earth From GALAXY,” is the subtitle. —and succeeds, though not as

* Moore is dissatisfied with both “Vertuskm" and “Venetian’ as adjectives; uses “Cytherean’—fTom another of Aphrodites s names, instead. f —

BOOKS 63 they-it expected. Damon Knight’s build “houses” for themselves; Natural State is about the Down- their ink not only acts as a smoke- fall of The Cities, and the Tri- screen but forms a phantom-shape umph of the Outlanders, here of the creatures themselves to dis- called "Muckfeet,” who triumph tract pursuers and seems to para- because they have succeeded in lyze attackers’ sense of smell — es- joining organic and inorganic life- sential to the chase; the ink is so forms. Messrs. Sturgeon and durable that even in fossil-form it Knight, like Mr. Tenn, can carry can still be used for writing. They me with them almost anywhere travel by jet-propulsion. Their eyes they want to go on sheer writing are incredibly alike to man’s. “At alone, Isaac Asimov, however, in the bottom of the sea,” says one ob- this instance, at any rate, not so. server, “an octopus is like a tiger His Galley Slave (the incurable in the jungle.” They can be hypno- punstering Doctor has a proof- tized. Some are luminescent, by reading robot for hero) is a story virtue of symbiotic bacteria. Their depending chiefly on its ideas. mating habits (described by Aris- They are, that those who fear ro- totle with surprising accuracy) are bots will destroy creativity cannot weird and often nasty. They can destroy robotics by employing the be lured by playing on the nose- (famous and Asimovian) Three flute or the ocarina, have most defi-

Laws of Robotics against it. The nitely attacked and killed men, story is utterly logical, utterly nat- and “there are rare giant eephalo- ural — and leaves me, though not pods which have sunk small cold, cool. And the fifth short nov- boats.” There is an account of el I found unreadable. So “that calm summer evening in the score : three A’s;^^ one B, and one Bay of Bengal [when] the schoon- D-minus — and I am not, either, er Pearl was sunk by a gigantic “hostile to ideas.” So there. kraken.” A fascinating book, with lots of anecdotes and illustrations. KINGDOM OF THE OCTOPUS, Frank W. Lane, Pyramid, 75 MYTHS OF THE HERO, Norma Loric Goodrich, Orion, $12.50

I think it was R. W. Coulson who remarked that this book almost "Say what you will about Freud,” told him more about octopuses than I once observed to a young woman he cared to know. It is certainly with black hair and shining eyes copious, dealing as well with (who was at that moment saying squids and other cephalopods. nothing whatsoever about Freud); They are the most intelligent of “he has considerably enriched our the molluscs, inveterate cannibals, mythology.” This particular and —

64 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

rather stuffy comment got but no- parts of the Roland Cyele; Berta where at all. It later developed of Hungary; Sifrit of Austria; that to her, as to many, many Prince Igor, and The Host of other people, “mythology” was Prinee Igor; and The Cid. A something patented by Professor mixed bag, and rich enough to do. Bullfinch, and had no other con- Consider just one of the Heroes. notations. This book by Mrs. Peredur. His tale seemingly links Goodrich does not delve too deep- up ancient Indo-European ele- ly into the combinations and per- ments with Isis and Osiris, Ishtar mutations possible to tbe subject, with the Arthurian cycle, the Dru- but then the subject has possibly ids with the Knights Templar, been over-delved into. Her ehap- Adonis and Tammuz vidth Sir Per- ters are fourteen in number, seven cival and Parzifal, Irish folk-lore ancient — Gilgamesh the Wrestler; with Cervantes and the modern Horus the Hawk, the Avenger; Samuel Beckett — even, as Mrs. The House of Grete, King Minos Goodrieh cautiously suggests, per- II, Theseus and the Minotaur; haps with Jesus. Her prose is not Cassandra; The Coming of Rus- of the most limpid, but the sub- tum; Rustum and Kai-Kaus, Rus- jeet matter and Nieolay Nikolen- tum and Suhrab; Rama and the ko’s 105 good illustrations help Monkeys; The Wanderings of out a great deal. “The myth,” says “. Aeneas, and The War in Italy the author, . . is a branch of and seven medieval: three Beo- literature which is, like all great wulf episodes; Peredur, Son of art, only a waking dream.” York and The Valley Round; three —Avram Davidson

A MAN NAMED THIN and other stories by DASHIELL HAMMETT

Eight tense and absorbing short stories by the champion of the American mystery are now available for the first time in book form. Each of these Ham- mett “unknowns” exhibits the unique and varied talents of the master of the detective short story, the creator of Sam Spade, Nick Charles, and the Con- tinental Op. Introduction and editorial notes by Ellery Queen. Only 50C

Mercury Press, Inc., 347 East 53 Street, New York 22, N.Y. F-6

Send me A MAN NAMED THIN and other stories. I enclose 50(f. Name

Address

City Zone State a

This story has proven both a pleasure and a sorrow to us— pleasure because of its fresh approach to a theme which has gone stale in the hands of more than one other author, and a sorrow because we cannot tell you anything about the man

who wrote it. All we have been able to learn is that Con Peder- son once lived at 117 North Reno Street, Los Angeles, Cali-

fornia; gave this story to Forest J. Ackerman (Mr. Science Fic- tion) six years ago, to be agented by him; and then proceeded

to vanish from that gentleman’s ken. If anyone knows where he is—or even where he might be—please try and get this mes-

sage to him: IP!?' Con Pederson: Forest J. Ackerman has a check for you; F&SF would like more stories!

PUSHOVER PLANET

by Con Pederson

Potter & Finch came down side of my skull for eighteen light in a flash of steam and smoke, the years.” forward rockets howling. "The lung’s good, Osk,” reported "Hot dog,” yelled Finch. "A Finch, examining the atmosphero- veritable ball.” meter. “Pressure’s ten point seven. Careful to favor tire leg that It gives summer suits.” had gone to sleep. Potter bounced “Fine,” yawned Potter, stretch- up and down tentatively as soon ing in the new gravity. as the side-irons had dropped “I’m for looking down. The mist from their chairs. is cleared off now.” “Not a bad landing, Fd say,” Finch proceeded with his peri- Finch beamed, defrosting some scope, jiggling the horizon and of the windows. “Laurels for the sweeping it to the ground eighty pilot. Say, what do you think?” yards below. “Um,” mused Potter, getting the “Brick or lava?” feel of weight. “Littler than earth “This is too good. A sort of again. I haven’t been on the right grass. I’d say. Small trees — oh,

65 66 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION maybe thirty feet high. Find some elevator to scurry out and hunt for life, will you Oscar?” samples. “Hang on, Dan. What’s the “Yeah—except you can’t see milliroentgen count?” mountains here. Just hiUs. There “Poo — tliis is a slow atmos- must he running liquid out there, phere. We can travel without lead eroding them down. That means shield — cosmic radiation is nearly paydirt in the streams.” naught.” Potter checked the time and Potter moved to an array of ex- started the elevator up again. With tension controls, and set to work a steady buzz it climbed to the sticking pins in the planet. outer port and they heard the locks “That’s nice. I’ve just found working as it entered. Then the flea-level carbon.” inner door swung open to admit the Finch grinned. “Critters, huh? car. Osk, this looks like South Heaven. Out stepped an animal that

I can’t wait to get into the white walked erect like a small kangaroo.

meat out there.” "hello” it telepathed. “Well, don't get too eager. The “What the devil!” shouted last time we found a gold mine Finch. like this we ran into a minor “Be careful!” warned Potter, plague.” reaching for a weapon. “It might “That was a fluke. You aren’t be dangerous!” getting anti-statistic in your old The animal stopped and looked age, I hope. Just imagine the un- at them. Potter and Finch felt touched uranium ore out there, their minds glow with the crea- and the platinum just waiting to ture’s message of greeting. be lapped up by an airjeep.” “It esps!” exclaimed Finch. Finch’s eyes glittered. “What do you know' about Potter scratched his head, once that?” more scanning the carbon clock. “N-next to nothing,” stanir “All right, then. Let’s put out mered Potter. the dumbwaiter.” “so luonderful you" came the Things clicked and whirred for creature’s vibration, and the two a bit as tlie elevator ran down the men were washed in a nerve-bath outside of the hull, bounced gently of extreme pleasure. as it touched a rock, and settled in “Hey — cut that stuff out!” pro- the cool grass. tested Finch, leaping back and “This planet reminds me of blinking w'ildly. Berg 53,” said Potter, watching “friends to you lore" tlie little out the window as mechanical animal answered. ground runners rolled from the “Intelligent life, Dan! And ”

PUSHOVER PLANET 67

think of it — the third example of "many us many kinds love”

telepathy in history!” . . Hear that picture?”

“It looks like a wallaby, doesn’t asked Potter. “It looks . . .

it? Except it’s white. And damn sounds . . . like a planet of

it, will you look at that nasal many different species ... They twitch — just like a bunny!” all form affinities between pairs. "wonderful friends have" It must be like a zoo on earth, washed over the men again, as the with all the animals eJ^ rapport, little creature bobbed around like and mating telepathically. Only a puppy with a thorn pulled. instead of two sexes, here there are .” “I wonder what kind of organi- dozens . . zation this means,” Potter said. “I wonder how they propa- “This telepathy is fabulous. Sort of gate!” communicates without saying any- “Strictly an academic question. tlung.” — I’ll let you worry about it.” “It seems to want Finch bent down and stroked "friends keep” the creature’s fur. It glowed. “You see? ‘Friends.’ Maybe “Say, what a break for Potter & we’ve stumbled into some sort of Finch, Planet Exploiters First altruism.” Class! We can get these lovable “Naw,” said Finch. “It’s just little fellows to help us locate lolling us ‘welcome’. But you have paydirt.” lo admit he sure means it.” “I suppose so. Seems a little de- They shivered as the animal spicable, though.” continued to bathe them in emo- “Oh, can it. If you had scruples lion. Such uncontrolled joy was you’d never have financed this tub Iiard to cope with, coming from in the first place. You know you’ll

( his non-human little creature. get your eighty billion back, if we "ive friends love" hit just one more strike.” “No, Dan — I think it’s more “I’d feel more at home with a personal than drat.” patch on one eye and a cutlass.” It affirmed with a renewed blast "i leave tell home” ol’ affection. “Sure — sure,” said Finch. “Run “You’re right — it’s like a faith- on back and tell your pals. Tell I'ld hound. Why, we must have them we’re friends. We’re every- found a planet of pets!” body’s friends. “Too high level for pets. This is “NO" a complex being. It must have a “Ow!” Finch recoiled.

civilization . . “Don’t you get it? We’re strictly "all we here together love” his, like a girl with her first boy “That’s it!” said Finch. friend. He’s latched onto us for 68 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION one of those strange alliances he “We may have to convert some telepathed us about. I don’t know of that cargo to get home, Dan. So what it means, but it’s all his.” don’t count on too much profit.” “Okay, let him go home and Finch gulped his coffee. “Don’t boast. But he better come back.” worry. Platinum is still high. And "come tomorrow friends” we can’t burn that.” As the creature left they again They stood up and began to felt that surge of adoration through shift into space suits, in order to their minds. It left them a little reconnoiter the area. Plans had to self-conscious. be made for setting the automatic “What a deal!” said Finch, low- diggers to work sucking out pay- ering die elevator. dirt and hauling it to the ship, and “We’d better get some sleep,” they had yet to find ore itself. Potter said, for they had been On came the suits-lugs bolted awake since first sighting the plan- tight, limbs sealed in compart- et. “We can worry about Happy ments, mechanical fingers tested, and his friends in the morning.” polarized headmounts fastened, oxygen tanks saddled, nitrogen The next day Potter & Finch content adjusted, thermostats set, were buzzed out of bed at dawn a little experimental puff of vapor and they set to work on breakfast. “As soon as this run is over, “All set?” radioed Finch. we’ll have our hold full of enough “Mphh,” answered Potter, raw money to buy another ship, cinching his midsection and alter- Osk,” said Finch, hacking at an ing the volume of his transmitter. egg- They went awkwardly down the “Yes, but don’t forget they’ve elevator and walked out on the been cracking down on exploiters. planet, thankful now for its slight- It will probably be illegal when we er gravity. Above them was bril- get back. We may take a loss on liant sky, before them rolling for- uranium, even.” ests with the sound of water mov- “With thirteen hundred tons ing in great torrents somewhere downstairs already? That’s twenty in the hinterland. per cent stuff, Osk.” “A tropical paradise,” said Pot- Potter knew that. But he re- ter, awed. membered a fuel bill of seven bil- “Let’s strike out this way, Osk. lion dollars. It had taken three We should find a stream. Listen hundred tons of eighty per cent — I can hear the counters chug- uranium just to get through the ging now!” space barrier. And the solar sys- They set off through the trees. tem was still ten light years away. Lianas hung down from the weird. PUSHOVER PEANET 69

moss-covered limbs. Everything Such huge beings he had found was encrusted with dried foam, a —and by fayta law he had a foam stained many bright colors whole month to choose the one by juice from milbons of overripe with which to form a bond! fruits in the mesh of branches, The ship was before him now, above. Upward was a white lace of its elevator waiting. His friends growing limbs, while the ground w'ould be glad to see him. They was a yielding spongy moss inter- were receptive to his mind energy, spersed with purple grass that and that fulfilled in him the pur- sometimes grew long, flower-tipped pose of all faytas. spires. From the jungle came a snap- Ground animals scurried be- ping sound, and Luti jumped back. fore them, and many strange in- Immediately his mind energy sects flew everywhere. It was a leaped out for his friends. He must thrill to Oscar Potter to walk protect them until bond was through vegetation centers on new formed, according to tbe rules of planets, but there w'as a sameness fayta. But his mind energy could to all of them. Always they were a not find his friends. Lhcy must be confused sprawl of varied growths. asleep! “Here’s a stream," called Finch. Then, from the trees, stepped

“What is it?” two huge metal creatures that “Seems like ordinary water, stalked toward the ship. They even to the calcium and iron. Lot plodded menacingly, and their of radiation.” purple crests emanated a sharp “Okay. Let’s check upstream. mind energy that hurt Luti’s think- We’ll soon have to get back and ing. see about Happy and his cousins.” Luti saw their metal hides, and “Gladly. There’s a fortune here, the great metal bowls on their Osk. It means more than one trip. backs. Again he felt their energy, Earth’ll be our oyster. We’ll have and it was hostile, enemy, painful more out of this than we can in frequency. His friends were en- dream of together the rest of our dangered! These horrible mon- lives.” sters were coming to harm his friends! Luti bounded along the narrow Springing to the elevator, he trail toward the ship. His heart turned and faced them. Fayta was light, and he glowed with a training and the bond code told radiance that only the bonded him what he must do. faytas exhibited. In his species His energy leaped out in a great joy had been exuded when wave of searing heat, and tire he described his new affinities. ground beneath the oncoming 70 FANTAS-Y AND SCIENCE FICTION monsters rippled and melted. One the mind waves of the monsters. raised its arm for an instant, then Not finding them, he sat down they vanished. by the table and sniffed the empty Luti bounded up the elevator coffee cups. They must have gone slide and entered the cabin, to see for a walk, he thought. They will if his friends had been harmed by be back.

STARLESQUE

The strippers were all mimicans, of course,

from Vega, according to tlie glam sell in the lobby, but mostly flab non gell types whose guise was pendulous and, worse, only quasi-human. At the going price,

what could ) ou expect? After the long spiel, we settled back for laughs to watch them peel, half hoping, this time, to see beneath the farce.

Grasping a fold of skin above the ribs, the mini unwound, disclosing rib cage, heart and lungs, going through the whole sorry routine until the skeleton was up for grabs. We squinted through the bone heap’s blue contor- tions, vainly seeking a naked hint of brain. —Walter H. Kerr .

Introduction to Jack Vance’s GREEN MAGIC

Among the pleasures and treasures of the past calendar year we include our discovery of Jack Vance. True, others discov- ered him before us, discovered him to us. We would not have

it otherwise—bad enough it unaccountably took this long for us, good that others have been enjoying him whilst we remained in ignorance. The preference of a Mrs. Grania Davidson for California as the scene of her slightly delayed honeymoon enabled us to meet the pleasant Mr. Vance, pleas- ant wife and pleasant boy-child; and to obtain this story from him. Vances span the state in space and time: one great-great- grandfather arriving 11 years before the Gold Rush; Jack born in San Francisco, raised in the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta, high-schooled in Los Angeles, attended U. of C.—picked fruit, hopped bells, canned, mined, constructed, rigged, fared at sea, played jazz band cornet—lives in an old house in the Oakland Hills, defies storms and tempests in building the famous house-

boat with Frank Herbert and Foul Anderson . . . None of which explains the talent behind his writing. At its simplest, you have in this story the man who dwelt in Fairyland—minus any trace of saccharinity which that might imply—plus a so- phistication and a polish hard to parallel. We would like to know more about merrihews, sandestins, and magners, crea- tures benign and malign, which Jack Vance merely mentions in passing. We would like to know more about the Egg of In- nocence, which Harold Fair broke open, disturbing among the spiral towers. But it may be just as well that we do not. Jack

Vance, he who is not content with magics merely white or “. black, says he is in favor of . feasting and festivity, sailing, ceramics, books, Scotch, Bourbon, beer, gin and wine” and is against . . modern architecture, psychiatry, confusion, Picasso, Muzak, progressives and reactionaries, tobacco, sin and conuption.” so be it.

71 : ,

GREEN MAGIC

by Jack Vance

Howard Fair, looking over “Whereas benign creatures: an- the relics of his great uncle Ger- gels, white sprites, merrihews, ald McIntyre, found a large ledger sandestins — are typical of the entitled white cycle; whereas demons, magners, trolls and warlocks are WORKBOOK & JOURNAL evinced by black magic; so do the Open at Peril! purple and green cycles sponsor their own particulars, but these Fair read the journal with inter-: are neither good nor evil, bearing, est, although his own work went rather, the same relation to the far beyond ideas treated only gin- black and white provinces that gerly by Gerald McIntyre. these latter do to our own basic “The existence of disciplines realm.” concentric to the elementary mag- Fair re-read the passage. The ics must now be admitted without “green cycle?” Had Gerald McIn- further controversy,” wrote Mc- tyre wandered into regions over- Intyre. “Guided by a set of anal- looked by modern workers? ogies from the white and black He reviewed the journal in the magics (to be detailed in due light of this suspicion, and discov- course), I have delineated the ered additional hints and refer- basic extension of purple magic, ences. Especially provocative was as well as its corollary. Dynamic a bit of scribbled marginalia: Nomism.” “More concerning my latest re- Fair read on, remarking the searches I may not state, having careful charts, the projections and been promised an infinite reward expansions, the transpolations and for this forbearance.” transformations by which Gerald The passage was dated a day McIntyre had conceived his sys- before Gerald McIntyre’s death, temology. So swiftly had the tech- which had occurred on March 2 1 nical arts advanced that McIn- 1898, the first day of spring. Mc- tyre’s expositions, highly contro- Intyre had enjoyed very little of versial sixty years before, now his “infinite reward,” whatever had seemed pedantic and overly rig- been its nature . . . Fair returned orous. to a consideration of the journal.

72 CRUEN MAGIC 73

which, in a sentence or two, had leaves in the place of hair. It opened a chink on an entire new greeted Fair with cool courtesy, panorama. McIntyre provided no would not seat itself, and ignored further illumination, and Fair Fair’s proffer of coffee. set out to make a fuller investiga- After wandering around the tion. apartment inspecting Fair’s books His first steps were routine. He and curios with an air of negligent [lerformed two divinations, amusement, it agreed to respond searched the standard indexes, to Fair’s questions. concordances, handbooks and for- Fair asked permission to use his mularies, evoked a demon whom taire-recorder, which the sprite al- he had previously found knowl- lowed, and Fair set the apparatus edgeable: all without success. He in motion. (When subsequently found no direct reference to cycles he replayed the interview, no beyond the purple; the demon re- sound could be heard.) fused even to speculate. “Wh^t realms of magic lie be- Fair was by no means discour- yond the green?” asked Fair. aged; if anything, the intensity of “I can’t give you an exact an- his interest increased. He re-read swer,” replied the sprite, “because the journal, w’ith particular care I don’t know. There are at least to the justification for purple mag- two more, corresponding to the ic, reasoning that McIntyre, grop- colors we call rawn and pallow, ing for a lore beyond the purple, and very likely others.” might well have used the methods Fair arranged the microphone which had yielded results before. where it would more directly in- Applying stains and ultraviolet tercept the voice of the sprite. light to the pages. Fair made legi- “What,” he asked, “is the green ble a number of notes McIntyre cycle like? What is its physical had jotted down, then erased. semblance?” Fair was immensely stimulated. The sprite paused to consider. The notes assured him that he was Glistening mother-of-pearl films on the right track, and further in- wandered across its face, reflect- dicated a number of blind alleys ing the tinge of its thoughts. “I’m which Fair profited by avoiding. rather severely restricted by your He applied himself so successfully use of the word ‘physical.’ And that before the week was out he ‘semblance’ involves a subjective had evoked a sprite of the green interpretation, which changes with cycle. the rise and fall of the seconds.” It appeared in the semblance of “By all means,” Fair said hasti- a man with green glass eyes and ly, “describe it in your own words.” a thatch of young eucalyptus “Well —we have four different —

74 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION regions, two of which floresce The sprite made an easy ges- from the basic skeleton of the uni- ture, and whorls of green smoke verse, and so subsede the others. trailed from his fingers to spin The first of these is compressed through the air. “I could arrange and isthiated, but is notable for the matter, but since I bear you no its wide pools of mottle which we particular animosity. I’ll do noth- ' use sometimes for deranging sta- ing of the sort. And now, I must tions. We’ve transplated club- be gone.” mosses from Earth’s Devonian and “Where do you go?” Fair asked a few ice-fires from Perdition. in wonder and longing. “May I go They climb among—the rods which with you?” we call devil-hair ” he went on The sprite, swirling a drape of !

for several minutes but the mean- bright green dust over its shoul- | ing almost entirely escaped Fair. ders, shook his head. “You would And it seemed as if the question be less than comfortable.” by which he had hoped to break “Other men have explored the the ice might run away with the worlds of magic!” entire interview. He introduced “True: your uncle Gerald Mc- another idea. Intyre, for instance.” “ ‘Can we freely manipulate the “My uncle Gerald learned ” physical extensions of Earth?’ green magic?” The sprite seemed amused. “You “To the limit of his capabilities. refer, so I assume, to the various He found no pleasure in his learn- aspects of space, time, mass, en- ing. You would do well to profit ergy, life, thought and recollec- by his experience and modify your tion.” ambitions.” The sprite turned and “Exactly.” walked away. The sprite raised its green corn- Fair watched it depart. The silk eyebrows. “I might as sensibly sprite receded in space and dimen- ask can you break an egg by strick- sion, but never reached the wall of ing it with a club? The response Fair’s room. At a distance which is on a similar level of seriousness.” might have been fifty yards, the Fair had expected a certain sprite glanced back, as if to make amount of condescension and im- sure that Fair was not following, patience, and was not abashed. then stepped off at another angle “How may I learn these tech- and disappeared. niques?” Fair’s first impulse was to take “In the usual manner: through heed and limit his explorations. diligent study.” He was an adept in white magic, “Ah, indeed—but where could and had mastered the black art I study? Who would teach me?” occasionally he evoked a demon GREEN MAGIC 75

to liven a social gathering which pened to him —was naturally a otherwise threatened to become matter of concern. If he had won dull —but he had by no means il- to a goal so precious, why had he luminated every mystery of purple died so quickly? Was the “infinite magic, which is the realm of In- reward” so miraculous, so exqui-

carnate Symbols. site, that the mind failed under its Howard Fair might have turned possession? (If such were the away from the green cycle except case, the reward was hardly a re- for three factors. ward.) First was his physical appear- Fair could not restrain himself, ance. He stood rather under me- and by degrees returned to a study dium height, with a swarthy face, of green magic. Rather than again sparse black hair, a gnarled nose, invoke the sprite whose air of in- a small heavy mouth. He felt no dulgent contempt he had found great sensitivity about his appear- exasperating, he decided to seek ance, but realized that it might be knowledge by an indirect method, improved. In his mind’s eye he employing the most advanced con- pictured the personified ideal of cepts of technical and cabalistic himself: he was taller by six science. inches, his nose thin and keen, his He obtained a portable televi- skin cleared of its muddy under- sion transmitter w'hich he loaded tone. A striking figure, but still into his panel truck along with a recognizable as Howard Fair. He receiver. On a Monday night in wanted the love of women, but he early May, he drove to an aban- wanted it without the interposi- doned graveyard far out in the tion of his craft. Many times he wooded hills, and there, by the had brought beautiful girls to his light of a waning moon, he buried bed, lips wet and eyes shining; but the television camera in grave- purple magic had seduced them yard clay until only the lense pro- rather than Howard Fair, and he truded from the soil. took limited satisfaction in such With a sharp alder twig he conquests. scratched on the ground a mon- Here was the first factor which strous outline. The television lens drew Howard Fair back to the served for one eye, a beer bottle green lore; the second was his pushed neck-first into the soil the yearning for extended, perhaps other. eternal, life; the third was simple During the middle hours, while tliirst for knowledge. the moon died behind wisps of The fact of Gerald McIntyre’s pale cloud, he carved a word on death, or dissolution, or disap- the dark forehead; then recited the pearance —whatever had hap- activating incantation. 76 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

The ground rumbled and realm met on a spun-silver land- moaned, the golem heaved up to scape. They were Jaadian and blot out the stars. Misthemar, and they fell to dis- The glass eyes stared down at cussing the earthen monster which Fair, secure in his pentagon. had stalked forty miles through "Speak!” called out Fair. "En- the region known as Cil; which teresthes, Akmai Adonai Bidem- then, turning in its tracks, had re- girl Elohim, pa rahullit Enter- traced its steps, gradually in- esthes, HVOll Speak!” creasing its pace until at the end

“Return me to earth, return my it moved in a shambling rush, clay to the quiet clay from whence leaving a trail of clods on the fra- you roused me.” gile moth-wing mosaics. "First you must serve.” “Events, events, events,” Mis- The golem stumbled forward to themar fretted, “they crowd the crush Fair, but was halted by the chute of time till the bounds pang of protective magic. bulge. Or then again, the course

“Serve you I will, if serve you 1 is as lean and spare as a stretched must.” tendon . . . But in regard to .” Fair stepped boldly forth from this incursion . . He paused the pentagon, strung forty yards for a period of reflection, and sil- of green ribbon down the road in ver clouds moved over his head the shape of a narrow V. “Go forth and under his feet. into the realm of green magic,” he Jaadian remarked, “You are told the monster. “The ribbons aware that I conversed with How- reach forty miles, walk to the end, ard Fair; he is so obsessed to es- turn about, return, and then fall cape the squalor of his world that back, return to the earth from he acts with recklessness.” which you rose.” "The man Gerald McIntyre The golem turned, shuffled into was his uncle,” mused Misthemar. the V of green ribbon, shaking off “McIntyre besought, we yielded; clods of mold, jarring the ground as perhaps now we must yield to with its ponderous tread. Howard Fair.” Fair watched the squat shape Jaadian uneasily opened his dwindle, recede, yet never reach hand, shook off a spray of emerald the angle of the magic V. He re- fire. “Events press, both in and turned to his panel truck, tuned out. I find myself unable to act in the television receiver to the go- this regard.” lem’s eye, and surveyed the fan- "I likewise do not care to be the tastic vistas of the green realm. agent of tragedy.” A Meaning came fluttering up Two elementals of the green from beloAv: "A disturbance GREEN MAGIC 77 among the spiral towers! A cater- Fair agreed, smiling faintly. pillar of glass and metal has come “But knowledge creates a craving clanking; it has thrust electric eyes for further knowledge. Where is into the Portinone and broke open the harm in knowledge?” the Egg of Innocence. Howard Mithemar, tlie more mercurial Fair is the fault.” of the sprites, spoke angrily. Jaadian and Misthemar con- “Where is the harm? Consider your sulted each other with wry disin- earthen monster! It befouled forty clination. “Very well, both of us miles of delicacy, the record of will go; such a duty needs two ten million years. Consider your souls in support.” caterpillar! It trampled our pillars They impinged upon Earth of carved milk, our dreaming tow- and found Howard Fair in a wall ers, damaged the nerve-skeins booth at a cocktail bar. Ele looked which extrude and waft us our up at the two strangers and one of Meanings.” them asked, “May we join you?” “I’m dreadfully sorry,” said Fair examined the two men. Fair. “I meant no destruction.” Both wore conservative suits and The sprites nodded. “But your carried cashmere topcoats over apology conveys no guarantee of their arms. Fair noticed that the restraint.” left thumb-nail of each man glis- Fair toyed with his glass. A tened green. waiter approached the table, ad- Fair rose politely to his feet. dressed the two sprites. “Some- “Will you sit down?” thing for you two gentlemen?” The green sprites hung up their Jaadian ordered a glass of overcoats and slid into the booth. charged water, as did Misthemar. Fair looked from one to the other. Fair called for another highball. He addressed Jaadian. “Aren’t you “What do you hope to gain he whom I interviewed several from this activity?” inquired Mis- weeks ago?” themar. “Destructive forays teach Jaadian assented. “You have not you nothing!” accepted my advice.” Fair agreed. “I have learned lit- Fair shrugged. “You asked me to tle. But I have seen miraculous remain ignorant, to accept my sights. I am more than ever anx- stupidity and ineptitude.” ious to learn.” “And why should you not?” The green sprites glumly asked Jaadian gently. “You are a watched the bubbles rising in primitive in a primitive realm; their glasses. Jaadian at last drew nevertheless not one man in a a deep sigh. “Perhaps we can ob- thousand can match your achieve- viate toil on your part and distur- ments.” bance on ours. Explicitly, what ”

78 FANTASY AM) .SCIENCE FICTION

gains or advantages do )'Ou hope to tunate; for to dissolve you into air derive from green magic?” would end all the annoyance.” Fair, smiling, leaned back into Fair laughed. “I apologize the red imitation-leather cushions. again for making such a nuisance “I want many things. Extended of myself. But surely you under- life — mobility in time — compre- stand how important this is to hensive memory — augmented per- me?” ception-, with vision across the Jaadian asked hopefully, "Then whole spectrum. I want physical you agree to our offer?” charm and magnetism, the sem- Fair shook his head. “How blance of youth, muscular endur- could I live, forever young, capable

ance . . . Then there are quali- of extended learning, but limited ties—more or less speculative, such to knowledge which I already see as bounds to? I would be bored, rest- Jaadian interrupted. “These less, miserable.” qualities and characteristics we “That well may be,” said Jaa- will confer upon you. In return dian. “But not so bored, restless you will undertake never again to and miserable as if you were disturb the green realm. You will learned in green magic.” evade centuries of toil; we will be Fair drew himself erect. "I must spared the nuisance of your pres- learn green magic. It is an oppor- ence, and the inevitable tragedy.” tunity which only a person both “Tragedy?” inquired Fair in torpid and stupid could refuse.” wonder. “Why tragedy?” Jaadian sighed. “In your place Jaadian spoke in a deep rever- I would make the same response.” berating voice. “You are a man of The sprites rose to their feet. Earth. Your goals are not our “Come then, we will teach you.” goals. Green magic makes you “Don’t say we didn’t warn you,” aware of our goals.” said Misthemar. Fair thoughtfully sipped his highball. “I can’t see that this is a Time passed. Sunset waned and disadvantage. I am willing to sub- twilight darkened. A man walked mit to the discipline of instruc- up the stairs, entered Howard tion. Surely a knowledge of green Fair’s apartment. He was tall, un- magic will not change me into a obtrusively muscular. His face was different entity?” sensitive, keen, humorous; his left “No. And this is the basic trag- thumb-nail glistened green. edy!” Time is a function of vital proc- Misthemar spoke in exaspera- esses. The people of Earth had per- tion. “We are forbidden to harm ceived the motion of their clocks. lesser creatures, and so you are for- On this understanding, two hours GREEN MAGIC 79 had elapsed since Howard Fair parallels, attenuation, diminish- had followed the green sprites ments and extensions; and during from the bar. this time he was introduced to Howard Fair had perceived flake patterns, and certain of the other criteria. For him the interval more obvious displays. had been seven hundred years, Now he was able to study with- during which he had lived in the out recourse to the code-language, green realm, learning to the ut- and his progress became more most capacity of his brain. marked. Another twenty years He had occupied two years found him able to reeognize more training his senses to the new con- complicated Meanings, and he ditions. Gradually he learned to was introduced to a more varied walk in the six basic three-dimen- program. He floated over the field sional directions, and accustomed of moth-wing mosaics, which still himself to the fourth-dimensional showed the footprints of the go- short-cuts. By easy stages the blinds lem. He sweated in embarrass- over his eyes were removed, so that ment, the extent of his wicked the dazzling over-human intri- willfulness now clear to him. cacy of the landscape never com- So passed the years. Howard pletely confounded him. Fair learned as much green magic Another year was spent train- as his brain could encompass. ing him to the use of a code-lan- He explored much of the green guage — an intermediate step be- realm, finding so much beauty tween the vocalizations of Earth that he feared his brain might and the meaning-patterns of the burst. He tasted, he heard, he felt, green realm, where a hundred he sensed, and each one of his symbol-flakes (each a flitting spot senses was a hundred times more of delicate iridescence) might be discriminating than before. Nour- displayed in a single swirl of im- ishment came in a thousand dif- port. During this time Howard ferent forms: from pink eggs Fair’s eyes and brain were altered, which burst into a hot sweet gas, to allow him the use of the many suffusing his entire body; from new eolors, without which die passing through a rain of stinging meaning-flakes could not be recog- metal crystals; from simple con- nized. templation of the proper symbol. These were preliminary steps. Homesickness for Earth waxed For forty years he studied the and waned. Sometimes it w'as in- flakes, of which there were almost supportable and he was ready to a million. Another forty years was forsake all he had learned and aban- given to elementary permutations don his hopes for the future. At and shifts, and another forty to other times the magnificence of so FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

the green realm permeated him, come. The first few hundred years and the thought of departure he worked with the enthusiasm of seemed like the threat of death it- ignorance, for the next few he was self. buoyed by hope. During the last By stages so gradual he never part of his time, only dogged ob- realized them he learned green stinacy kept him plodding through magic. what now he knew for infantile But the new faculty gave him exercises. no pride: between his crude in- In one terrible bitter-sweet eptitudes and the poetic elegance spasm, he gave up. He found of the sprites remained a tremen- Jaadian weaving tinkling frag- dous gap — and he felt his innate ments of various magics into a warp inferiority much more keenly than of shining long splines. With he ever had in his old state. Worse, grave courtesy, Jaadian gave Fair his most earnest efforts failed to his attention, and Fair laboriously improve his technique, and some- set forth his meaning. times, observing the singing joy of Jaadian returned a message. “I an improvised manifestation by recognize your discomfort, and ex- one of the sprites, and eontrasting tend my sympathy. It is best that it to his own labored construc- you now return to your native tions, he felt futility and shame. home.” The longer he remained in the He put aside his weaving and green realm, the stronger grew the conveyed Fair down through the sense of his own maladroitness, requisite vortices. Along the way and he began to long for the easy they passed Misthemar. No flicker environment of Earth, where each of meaning was expressed or ex- of his acts would not shout aloud changed, but Howard Fair thought of vulgarity and crassness. At to feel a tinge of faintly malicious times he would watch the sprites amusement. (in the gossamer forms natural to them) at play among the pearl- Howard Fair sat in his apart- petals, or twining like quick flash- ment. His perceptions, augmented es of music through the forest of and sharpened by his sojourn in pink spirals. The contrast between the green realm, took note of the their verve and his brutish fum- surroundings. Only two hours be- bling could not be borne and he fore, by the clocks of Earth, he would turn away. His self-respect had found them both restful and dwindled with each passing hour, stimulating; now they were nei- and instead of pride in his learn- ther. His books: superstition, spu- ing, he felt a sullen ache for what riousness, earnest nonsense. His he was not and could never be- private journals and workbooks: GREEN MAGIC 81

a pathetic scrawl of infantilisms. could barely steel himself to the Gravity tugged at his feet, held untidy contacts. He bought libra- him rigid. The shoddy construc- ries of erudite books, glanced tion of the house, which heretofore through them with contempt. He he never had noticed, oppressed tried to amuse himself with his him. Everywhere he looked he saw old magics; they seemed ridicu- slipshod disorder, primitive filth. lous. The thought of the food he must He forced himself to enjoy now eat revolted him. these pleasures for a month; then He went out on his little bal- he fled the city and established a cony which overlooked the street. crystal bubble on a crag in the The air was impregnated with or- Andes. To nourish himself, he con- ganic smells. Across the street he trived a thick liquid, which, while could look into windows where his by no means as exhilarating as die fellow humans lived in stupid substances of tbe green realm, was squalor. innocent of organic contamina- Fair smiled sadly. He had tried don. to prepare himself for these reac- After a certain degree of impro- tions, but now was surprised by visation and make-shift, he ar- tbeir intensity. He returned into ranged his life to its minimum his apartment. He must accustom discomfort. The view was one of himself to the old environment. austere grandeur; not even the And after all tliere were compen- condors came to disturb him. He sations. The most desirable com- sat back to ponder the chain of modities of the world were now his events which had started with his to enjoy. discovery of Gerald McIntyre’s workbook. He frowned. Gerald Howard Fair plunged into the McIntyre? He jumped to his feet, enjoyment of these pleasures. He looked far off over the crags. forced himself to drink quantities He found Gerald McIntyre at a of expensive wines, brandies, li- wayside service station in the heart queurs, even though they offended of tbe South Dakota prairie. Mc- his palate. Hunger overcame his Intyre was sitting in an old wood- nausea, he forced himself to the en chair, tilted back against the consumption of what he thought of peeling yellow paint of the service as fried animal tissue, the hyper- station, a straw hat shading his trophied sexual organs of plants. eyes from the sun. He experimented with erotic sen- He was a magnetically hand- sations, but found that beautiful some man, blond of hair, brown of women no longer seemed different skin, with blue eyes whose gaze from the plain ones, and that he stung like the touch of icicle. His 82 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

left thumb-nail glistened green. with a sigh. “The truth of the mat- Fair greeted him casually; the ter is that I am bored.” He pursed two men surveyed each other with his mouth and blew forth three wry curiosity. bright puffs of smoke: first red, "I see you have adapted your- then yellow, tlien blazing blue. “I self,” said Howard Fair. have arrived at the estate of fool- McIntyre shrugged. “As well as ishness, as you can see.” possible. I try to maintain a bal- Fair surveyed his great-uncle ance between solitude and the with a trace of uneasiness. McIn- pressure of humanity.” He looked tyre laughed. “No more pranks. I into the bright blue sky where predict, however, that you will crows flapped and called. “For presently share my malaise.” many years I lived in isolation. I “I share it already,” said Fair. began to detest the sound of my “Sometimes I wish I could aban- own breathing.” don all my magic and return to my Along the highway came a glit- former innocence.” tering automobile, rococo as a hy- “I have toyed with the idea,” brid goldfish. With the percep- McIntyre replied thoughtfully. tions now available to them, Fair “In fact I have made all the neces- and McIntyre could see the driv- sary arrangements. It is really a er to be red-faced and truculent, simple matter.” He led Fair to a his companion a peevish woman small room behind the station. Al- in expensive clothes. though the door was open, the in- “There are other advantages to terior showed a thick darkness. residence here,” said McIntyre. McIntyre, standing well back, “For instance, I am able to enrich surveyed the darkness with a quiz- the lives of passers-by with trifles zical curl to his lip. “You need of novel adventure.” He made a only enter. All your magic, all small gesture; two dozen crows your recollections of the green swooped down and flew beside the realm will depart. You will be no automobile. They settled on the wiser than the next man you meet. fenders, strutted back and forth And with your knowledge will go along the hood, fouled the wind- your boredom, your melancholy, shield. your dissatisfaction.” The automobile squealed to a Fair contemplated the dark halt, the driver jumped out, put doorway. A single step would re- the birds to flight. He threw an in- solve his discomfort. effectual rock, waved his arms in He glanced at McIntyre; the outrage, returned to his car, pro- two surveyed each other with sar- ceeded. donic amusement. They returned “A paltry affair,” said McIntyre to the front of the building. GREEN MAGIC 83

“Sometimes I stand by the door have taught me. And now— for a and look into the darkness,” said time, at least — I go back to my McIntyre. “Then I am reminded crag in the Andes.” how dearly I cherish my boredom, McIntyre tilted his chair and what a precious commodity is against the wall of the service sta- so much misery.” tion. “And I — for a time, at least Fair made himself ready for de- — will wait for the next passer- parture. “I thank you for this new by.” wisdom, which a hundred more “Goodby then. Uncle Gerald.” years in the green realm would not “Goodby, Howard.”

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Luminous Dr. Asimov here continues his discussions of light, the quantum theory, and relativity. He insists that the title of this article was stolen from him by Rudyard Kipling some decades ago.

THE LIGHT THAT FAILED!

by Isaac Asimov

Late last summer, a fetching young lady from Newsweek asked permission to interview me; permission which I granted at once, you may be sure. It seems that Netvsweek was planning to do a special issue on the Space Age, and it was this young lady’s job to gather some comments on the matter by various science fiction personalities. I discoursed learnedly on science fiction to her, filling ninety unfor- giving minutes, before I ungripped her with my glittering eye. Eventually, the special issue appeared, dated October 8, 1962, and there, on page 104, was three-quarters of a page devoted to science fic- tion (and not bad commentary either; no complaints on that score). Within diat section, every bit of my long-winded brilliance was dis- carded with the exception of one remark which read as follows: “But sci-fi is ‘a topical fairy tale where all scientists’ experiments

succeed,’ comments Isaac Asimov . . Ever since then, this quotation has bothered me. Oh, I said it; I wasn’t misquoted. It’s just that I seem to have implied that what scientists want are experiments that succeed, and that is not necessarily true. Under the proper circumstances, a failure, if unexpected and signifi- cant, can do more for the development of science than a hundred rou- tine successes. In fact, the most dramatic single experiment in the last three and a half centuries was an outright failure of so thunderous a nature as to win its perpetrator a Nobel Prize. What a happy fairy tale for scientists it would be if all experiments failed like that! This fits in, fortunately, with the fact that two months ago, I dis-

“Mi/ natural modesty forbids my quoting the rest of the passage, but you can look it up for yourself if you like. Please do. 84 THE LICHT THAT FAILED 85

cussed the ether (THE RIGID VACUUM, April, 1963) and ended at a point where it seemed enthroned immovably in the very fabric of physics. I warned you then that at the very peak of its power and prosperity, the ether was to be dashed from its throne and destroyed. The man who brought about that destruction was an American physi- cist named Albert Abraham Michelson. What started him on the track was a peculiar scientific monomania; Michelson got his kicks out of measuring the velocity of light. Such a measurement was his first scien- tific achievement, and his last, and just about everything he did in sci- ence in between grew out of his perpetual efforts to improve his meas- urements. And if you think I’m going to go one step farther without retreating three centuries to discuss the history of the measurement of the velocity of light, you little know me.

Throughout ancient and medieval times the velocity of light was as- sumed (by those who thought about the matter at all) to be infinite. The Italian scientist, Galileo, was the first to question this. About 1630, he proposed a method for measuring the velocity of light. Two people, he suggested, were to stand on hilltops a mile apart, both carrying shielded lanterns. One was to uncover his lantern. The other upon seeing the light was at once to uncover his own lantern. If the first man measured the time that elapsed between his own uncovering and the sight of the spark of light from the other hill, he would know how long it took light to cover the round distance. Galileo had actually tried the experiment, he said, but had achieved no reasonable results. It is not hard to see why he had failed, in the light of later knowledge. Light travels so quickly that the time lapse between emission and return was far too short for Galileo to measure with any instrument that then existed. There would be a small time lapse to be sure, but that repre- sented time it took for the assistant to think, "Hey, there’s the old man’s light” and get his own light uncovered. All that Galileo could possibly have shown by his experiment, which was correct in principle, was that if the velocity of light was not in- finite, then, it was at least very, very fast by ordinary standards. Still, it was useful to show even this much.

The next step was taken nearly half a century later. In 1676, a Dan- ish astronomer, Olaus Roemer, was working at the Paris Observatory, observing Jupiter’s satellites. Their times of revolution had been care- fully measured so it seemed possible to predict the exact moments at 86 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION which each would pass into eclipse behind Jupiter, and this, too, had been done. To Roemer’s surprise, however, the moons were being eclipsed at the wrong times. At those times of the year when the Earth was approaching Jupiter, the eclipses came more and more ahead of schedule, while when Earth was receding from Jupiter, they fell progressively further behind schedule.

Roemer reasoned that he did not see an eclipse when it took place, but only when the cut-off end of the light beam reached him. The eclipse itself took place at the scheduled moment but when the Earth was closer than average to Jupiter, he saip the eclipse sooner than if the Earth were farther than average from Jupiter. Earth was at a minimum distance from Jupiter when both planets were in a line on the same side of the Sun, and it was at a maximum distance when both planets were in a line on opposite sides of the Sun. The difference between those distances was exactly the diameter of the Earth’s orbit. The difference in time between the earliest eclipse of the satellites and the latest eclipse must therefore represent the time it took light to travel the diameter of Earth’s orbit. Roemer measured this time as 22 minutes and, accepting the best figure then available for the diameter of the Earth’s orbit, calculated that light travelled at a velocity of 138,000 miles per second. This is only three-quarters of what is now accepted as

the correct value* but it hit the correct order of magnitude and for a first attempt that was magnificent. Roemer announced his results and it made a small splash but aroused as much opposition as approval and tlie matter was forgotten for an- other half-century.

In the 1720’s, the English astronomer, James Bradley, was hot on the trail of the parallax of the stars. This had become a prime astronomical problem after Copernicus had first introduced the heliocentric theory of the Solar system. If the Earth really moved about the Sun, said the anti-Copernicans, then the nearby stars should seem to shift position (“parallactic displacement”) when compared with the more distant stars. Since no such shift was observed, Copernicus must be wrong. “Ah,” said the Copernicans in rebuttal, “but even the nearest stars are so distant that the parallactic displacement is too small to measure.”

*The actual maximum difference of eclipse times, by later measurements, turned out to be 16 minutes 36 seconds. The diameter of the earth’s orbit is about 185,- 500,000 miles, and I leave it to you, oh Gentle Reader, to calculate a good approxi- mation of the correct velocity of light. THE LH'.HT THAT FAILED 87

Yet even after astronomers had all adopted the heliocentric theory, there was still discomfort over the question of tire stellar parallax. This business of “too small to measure” seemed very much like an evasion. Observation should be refined to the point where the shift could be measured. That would accomplish two things. It would show how far the nearest stars were and it would be tlie final proof that the Earth was moving round the Sun. Bradley’s close observations did, indeed, demonstrate that the stars showed a tiny displacement through the year. However, this displace- ment was not of the right sort to be explained by the Earth’s motion. Something else had to be responsible and it was not until 1728 that a suitable explanation occurred to Bradley. Suppose we consider the starlight bombarding the earth to be like rain drops falling in a dead calm. If a man were standing motionless in such a rainstorm, he would have to hold an umbrella vertically overhead to ward off the vertically-dropping rain. If he were to walk, however, he would be walking into the rain and he would have to angle the um- brella forward, or some drops that would just miss the umbrella would nevertheless hit him. The faster he walks, the greater the angle at which he would have to tilt his umbrella. In the same way, to observe light from a moving earth, the telescope has to be angled very slightly. As the earth changes the direction of its motion in its course about the sun, the slight angle of the telescope must be changed constantly and the star seems to mark out a tiny ellipse against the sky (with reference to the Sun). Bradley had discovered what is called the “aberration of light.” This was not parallactic displacement and it did not help determine the distance of any stars (that had to wait still another century). Just the same it did prove the earth was moving, for if the earth were mo- tionless, the telescope would not have to be tilted at all, and the star would not seem to move. It gave additional information, too. The amount of the aberration of light depended on two factors; the velocity of light and the velocity of the earth’s motion in its orbit. The latter was known (about I8V2 miles per second); therefore the former could be calculated. Bradley’s estimate was that light had a velocity of about 188,500 miles per second. This was only 1.2% above the true value.

Two independent astronomical methods had yielded figures for the velocity of light and improved observations showed the two methods yielded roughly the same answer. Was there no way, however, in which FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION the velocity could be measured on Earth, under conditions controlled by the experimenter? The answer was yes, but the world had to wait a century and a quarter after Bradley’s discovery before a method was found. The dis- coverer was a French physicist, Armand Hippolyte Louis Fizeau, who returned to Galileo’s method but eliminated the personal element. In- stead of having an assistant return a second beam of light, he had a mirror reflect the first one. In 1849, Fizeau set up a rapidly turning toothed disk on one hill-top and a mirror on another, five miles away. Light passed through one gap between the teeth of the turning disk to the mirror and was reflected. If the disk turned at the proper speed, the reflected light returned just as the next gap moved into line. From the velocity at which the wheel had to be turned in order for the returning light to be seen, it was possible to calculate the time it took light to cover the ten-mile round distance. The value so determined was not as good as those the best astronomic measurements had pro- vided; it was 5 % off, but it was excellent for a first laboratory attempt. In 1850, Fizeau’s assistant, Jean Bernard Leon Foucault, improved the method by using two mirrors, one of which revolved rapidly. The re- volving mirror reflected the light at an angle and from that angle, the velocity of light could be calculated. By 1862, he had obtained values within a percent or so of the true one. Foucault went further. He measured the velocity of light through water and other transparent media. (You could do this with laboratory methods but not with astronomical methods.) He discovered in this way that light moved more slowly in water than in air. This was important. If the particle theory of light were true, light should move more rapidly in water than in air; if the wave theory of light were true, light should move more slowly in water than in air. By the mid-19th century, to be sure, most physicists had accepted the wave theory. Nevertheless, Foucault’s experiment was widely interpreted as having placed the final nail in the coffin of the particle theory.*

And now we come to Michelson. Michelson had been born in 1852 in a section of Poland that at that time was under German rule and he was

discussed the nature of light in THE RIGID VACUUM and it is only with diffi- culty that I refrain from repeating everything I said there. However, I tell myself firmly that the Gentle Reader has read the article and remembers every word as though it were inscribed on his cerebrum in letters of fire. —Or he can go back and check the article in the appropriate issue, for surely he hoards all back numbers of this worthy periodical. THE LIGHT THAT FAILED 89

brought to the United States two years later. His family did not follow the usual pattern of settling in one of the large east coast cities. Instead, the Michelsons made their way out to the far West, a region which the forty-niners had just ripped wide open. The Michelson family did well there (as merchants, not as gold- miners) and young Albert applied for entrance into Annapolis in 1869. He passed the necessary tests but the son of a war-veteran (Civil War, of course) took precedence. It took the personal intervention of President assist the , Grant (with an from Nevada congressman who pointed out the political usefulness of such a gesture to the family of a prominent Jewish merchant of the new west) to get Albert in. He graduated in 1873 and served as a science instructor at the Acad- emy during the latter part of that decade. In 1878, the velocit\'-of-light bug bit him and he never recovered. Using Foucault’s method but adding some ingenious improvements, he made his first report on the velocity, which he announced as 186,508 miles per second. He was 230 miles

)rer second too high, but his result was only Va of 1 percent off. In 1882, he tried again, after some years spent in studying optics in Germany and France. This time he came out with a figure of 186,320 miles per second, which was less than 50 miles per second high, or only

1/30 of 1 percent off.

Meanwhile, though, it had occurred to Michelson that speeding light could be made to reveal some fundamental secrets of the universe.

. One of the big things in the 1880’s was the “luminiferous ether” (see THE RIGID VACUUM). The ether was considered to be motionless,

at “absolute rest,” and if light were ether-waves then its velocity, if measured carefully enough under appropriate conditions, could give the value of the absolute velocity of the earth; not just the earth’s velocity with respect to the Sun but with respect to the very fabric of the universe. Such a value would be of the utmost importance to the philosophy of science since without it one could not be sure of the validity of all the laws of mechanics that had been worked out since the time of Galileo. Let me explain how this works. Suppose an airplane were moving

at 1 50 miles an hour and encountered winds of 145 miles an hour. If it were travelling with the wind, the plane would seem to move at 295 miles an hour (as viewed from the ground). If it travelled against the wind, it would travel only 5 miles an hour with respect to the ground. If the velocity of the plane on a windless day were known, then from the difference in velocity produced by the wind in either direction, the wind’s own velocity could be calculated. —

90 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

Now suppose the earth were moving through the stationary ether. From a mechanical standpoint, this would be equivalent to the Earth standing still while the ether moved past it. Let’s take the latter view for an “ether wind” is easy to visualize. Light, consisting (as was thought) of ether waves, would move relative to the Earth —with the ether, moving faster than average in the direction of the ether wind, more slowly than average against that direc- tion, and at intermediate velocities in intermediate directions.

Clearly, the velocity of the either wind could not be very great. If it were blowing at a considerable fraction of the velocity of light then all sorts of strange phenomena would be observable. For instance, light would radiate outward in an ellipse instead of in a circle. The fact that no such phenomena were ever observed, meant that the effects must be very small and that earth’s absolute velocity could only be a small frac- tion of the velocity of light. Michelson turned his attention toward the possibility of measuring that small fraction.

In 1881, Michelson had constructed an “interferometer,” a device which was designed to split a light-beam in two, send the parts along different paths at right angles to each other, then bring them back to- gether again. The two rays of light were made to travel exactly the same distance in the process of going and returning and, therefore, presumably spent the same time at their travels. On returning to their starting point they would merge into one beam again, just as though they had never sepa- rated. The merged beams would then display no properties that the original beam had not had. If, on the other hand, the two hght rays had been on their travels for different times, the wave-forms of the two rays of light would no longer match; upon merging they would find themselves out of step. There would be places where the waves of one light ray would be moving up while the waves of the other would be moving down. There would then be mutual cancellation (“interference”) and darkness could be pro- duced. The areas of darkness would recur periodically and take the form of a kind of zebra stripe arrangement (“interference fringes”). The idea was to adjust the instrument so that, as far as was humanly possible, the two light rays would be made to travel just the same dis- tance. If the velocity of light were constant, the two rays would spend the same time at their travels, would match on merging, and no interference fringes would appear. THE LIGHT THAT FAILED 91

However, this did not allow for the ether-wind, the existence of which was then assumed. If one of the light rays went with the wind, it would return against the wind. The other light ray, sent out at right angles, would then go cross-wind and return cross-wind. It can be shown that, in this case, the time taken by the one ray of light to travel with the wind, then return back against it, is slightly longer than the time taken by the other ray of light to travel cross-wind both ways. The stronger the ether-wind, the greater the discrepancy in time; and the greater the discrepancy in time, the wider the interference fringes. By observing the interference fringes, then, Michelson would be able to measure the velocity of the ether-wind, and that would give the Earth’s absolute motion. Michelson tried the experiment first in Germany, anchoring his inter- ferometer to rock, and driving himself mad trying to eliminate the vi- brations set up by city traffic. When he finally sent his split-beam of light on their separate paths, he found they brought back no informa- tion. The light had failed, and failed miserably. It brought back noth- ing; no interference fringes at all. Something had gone wrong, but Michelson did not know what. He let the matter go for a few years.

He returned to the United States, resigned from the Navy, joined the faculty of a new school called “Case School of Applied Science” in Cleveland and there met a chemist named Edward Williams Morley. Morley’s ambition had been to be a minister and he took his chemist’s job only on condition that he could preach in the school’s chapel. His own piece of scientific monomania lay in comparing the atomic weights of oxygen and hydrogen. Michelson and Morley discussed the interferometer experiment and

finally, in 1886 , joined forces in order to try again under conditions of the most heroic precautions. They dug down to bedrock to anchor the equipment to the solid planet itself. They built a brick base on which they placed a cement top with a doughnut shaped depression. They placed mercury in the depression and let a wooden float rest upon the mercury. On the wood was a stone base in which the parts of the inter- ferometer were firmly fixed. All was so well-balanced that the lightest touch would make the interferometer revolve steadily on its mercury support. Now they were ready for what was to come to be knovm as the “Michelson-Morley experiment.” Once again a ray of light was split and sent out on its errand; and once again the light failed and brought back 92 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

nothing. The only interference fringes that were to be seen were tiny ones that clearly represented unavoidable imperfections of the instru- ment.

Of course, it might be that the rays of light weren’t heading exactly upwind and downwind, but in such directions that the ether wind had no effect. However, the instrument could be rotated. Michelson and Morley took measurements at all angles and surely the ether-wind had to be blowing in one of those directions. They did even better than that. They kept taking measurements all year while the Earth itself changed direction of motion constantly as it moved in its orbit about the Sun. They made thousands of observations and by July, 1887, they were ready to report. The results were negative. They had tried to measure Earth’s absolute velocity and they had failed and that was that.

There had to be an explanation of this failure and no less than five of them can be considered for a moment. I’ll list them. 1) The experiment can be dismissed. Perhaps something was wrong in the equipment or the procedure or the reasoning behind it. Men such as the English scientists. Lord Kelvin and Oliver Lodge, took that point of view. However, this point of view is not tenable. Since 1887, numer- ous physicists have repeated the Michelson-Morley experiment with greater and greater precision. In 1960, masers (atomic clocks) were used for the purpose and an accuracy of one part in a trillion was achieved. But always, down to and including the 1960 experiments, the Michelson-Morley failure was repeated. There were no interference fringes. The light rays took precisely the same time to travel in any di- rection, regardless of the ether-w’ind. 2) Well, then, the experiment is valid and shows there is no ether wind, for any one of four different reasons:

a) The Earth is not moving; it is the motionless center of the Universe. This would involve so many other paradoxes and would fly in the face of so much astronomical and physical knowledge gained since the time of Copernicus that no scientist seriously advanced this for a moment. However, a friend of mine has pointed out that the only way of disproving this suggestion beyond a doubt was to run the Miehel- son-Morley experiment elsewhere than on the Earth. Perhaps when we reach the Moon, we ought to make it one of the early orders of business to repeat the Michelson-Morley experiment there. If it proves negative (and I’m sure it will!) we can certainly conclude that the Earth and the Moon can’t both simultaneously be motionless. That one or the oth- er is motionless is, at least, conceivable; that both are, is not. THE LIGHT THAT FAILED 93

b) The Earth does move, but in doing so it drags tlie neighboring ether with it, so that it seems motionless compared with the ether that is right at the surface of the Earth. For that reason, no interference fringes are produced. The English physicist, George Gabriel Stokes, suggested this. Unfortunately, this implies that there is friction be- tween the Earth and the ether and this would raise the serious question as to why the motion of heavenly bodies wasn’t continually being slowed by their passage through the ether. It was as hard to beheve in the "ether-drag” as in the motionless Earth, and Stokes’ notion died a quick death. Two suggestions survived, however; c) The Irish physicist, George Francis Fitzgerald, suggested tliat all objects (and therefore all measuring instruments) grew shorter in the direction of motion, according to a formula which was easily de- rived. (This is the "Fitzgerald contraction.”) The Fitzgerald contrac- tion introduced a factor that just neutralized the difference in time spent by the two light-rays on their travel and therefore accounted for the absence of interference fringes. And yet the Fitzgerald contraction had tire appearance of a “gimmick factor.” It worked, yes, but why should the contraction exist at all? d) The Austrian physicist, Ernst Mach, went to the heart of the matter. He said there was no ether-wind because there was no ether. What could be simpler? This was not a strange thing for Mach to have said. He was a rebel who insisted that only observable phenomena were rightly a matter for scientific inquiry, and that scientists should not set up models that were not themselves directly observable, and then believe in their ac- tual existence. Mach even refused to accept atoms as anything more than a convenient fiction. Naturally, it was to be expected that he would be ready to scrap the ether the first chance he got. How tempting that must have heen? The ether was such a ridiculous and self-contradictory substance (see THE RIGID VACUUM) that some of the greatest 1 9th-century theoretical physicists had worn them- selves out trying to explain it. Why not throw it away, as Mach had irascibly suggested? The trouble was —how would one then account for the fact that light could cross a vacuum? Everyone admitted that light consisted of waves, and the waves had to be waves of SOMETHING. If the ether existed, light consisted of waves of ether. If the ether did not exist, then light consisted of waves of WHAT? Physics was hovering between the frying-pan of ether and the fire 94 FANTASV AND SCIENCE FICTION

of complete chaos, and heaven only knows what would have happened if tw'o German scientists, Max Karl Ernst Ludwig Planck in 1900, and Albert Einstein in 1905, had not come along to save the situation. Save it, however, they did. The work of Planck and Einstein proved that the ether was not needed for light to travel through a vacuum. When this was done, the ether was no longer useful and it was dropped with a glad cry. The ether has never been required since. It does not exist

now; in fact, it never existed. (Einstein’s work also placed the Fitz- gerald Contraction in the proper perspective.) As a result the Michelson-Morley light-that-failed was recognized as the most tremendously successful failure in the history of science, for it completely altered the physicists’ view of the universe. In 1907, Michelson received the Nobel Prize in Physics, the first American to win one of the science prizes.

That covers everything, I think, except for one little detail. What, exaedy, was it that Planck and Einstein did to save the situation? Ah, but that is for another article at another time. Do you think I’m going to write myself out of a job by telling you everything at once?

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Each Volume File will keep 12 copies of FANTASY & SCIENCE FICTION clean, orderly, and readily accessible. Sturdily built, the files are covered with a rich black and red washable leatherette and the lettering is in 16-carat gold leaf. Reasonably priced at $2.50 each, 3 for $7.00, or 6 for $13.00, they are shipped fully prepaid on a money back basis if not satisfactory. Order direct from: JESSE JONES BOX CORPORATION D^t. P&SF t P.O. Box 5120 * Philadelphia 41, Pa. Since lilacs last in his dooryard bloomed Vance Aandahl has married Feghoot-contributor Lenore Sellers and started work on another novel, meanwhile continuing his studies at the University of Colorado. We felicitate the gifted and popular Mr. A. on all three counts, confident (or at least hopeful) that none of them will prevent his continuing to write the sparkling and polychromatic stories of which we have been privileged to buy a quantity. Evidence that our faith doth not bootless stand you see before you in a story which will probably (as was said of Voltaire) make you laugh—and wince—at the same time. The werewolf is a staple of European folk-lore, the Bra- zilians of the middle Amazon speak of wereporpoises, and the Malays of the weretiger. Neither wolf, porpoise, nor tiger play any part at all in the groves of the American acadame; but the martini? Oh my friends and ah my foes, the maiiini! and its unhoney d wine. Have you ever, have you never, won- dered at the conduct and behavior of some previously solid faculty member? Perhaps he had just encountered

.THE WEREMARTINI

by Vance Aandahl

I FIRST SAW HER SITTING IN THE dale for at least one-third of her third row of my Milton class. She life — of that I was sure. Her hair was looking through a fine arts was the color of sunburn, with text, completely oblivious to my just a streak of Nordic blonde ris- lecture, the students around her, ing up from one temple. Her eyes or even her presence in the class. were Carib blue, and her nose was She was an aristocrat — a long- straight. But her lips —her lips legged, lean-hipped creature from were the lips of a Cleopatra, full the east coast; she had been wear- and pouted and ripe with unslaked ing a swim-suit in Fort Lauder- passion . . .

95 % F.VNTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

“Tillyard,” I continued, "has minute she smiled, almost as called ‘Apology for Smectymnuus’ though with contempt, and turned the first substantial indication of her head to gaze through the win- Vlilton’s personal involvement in dows. I continued to watch her, the struggle. His reply to Hall’s running an imaginary finger down charges was written in a white tire nape of her profiled neck, un- heat of sardonic passion — he til the bell rang. turns the accusations upon the ac- That evening, ensconced in the cuser with little regard for reason security of my apartment, I took

— he snorts down his enemy . . stock of myself. I was a sober She tilted her head and regard- man, content with the excitement ed me momentarily with her clear of the past, not desiring more of blue eyes. I saw the light upon her life than what I had. This is not throat, burnished like copper and to say that I was a dried-up ped-

warm with life . . . ant, for like any man I had my “For example, Milton w'as foibles and eccentricities, my se- charged with spending his after- cret pleasures and my moments of noons in the London bordelloes.” gay abandon. Unfortunately, such

I laughed a little, picturing the moments were not of the sort diat

great poet sneaking down a cob- one shares. As Freud might say, I blestone street. “But Milton sees had been arrested in a stage of Hall’s own guilt in the charge it- polymorphous sexuality. My ec- self: ‘The confuter knows that stasies were the wind on my face these things are the furniture of and the sound of dried leaves be- playhouses and bordelloes, there- neath my feet. I could spend hours

fore, by the same reason, the con- fondling a soft object, holding it futer himself has been traced in to my clieek or listening to my ’’ those places.’ breath against it. The sun on my She had clo.scd her book and back was like a lover to me. now was inspecting the lingers of But these things were only the one hand. They were thin fingers onset of my ecstasy — the foreplay and brown, with the finest deli- of my pleasure. For I was some- cacy and grace. Her arms were thing strange indeed in those days. sunned and covered with a golden One may speak of me as having down; they played lightly in the been a weremartini. mote that fell through the win- I looked once more at the grade dows across her desk. She pouted book. Her name was Sharon Lew- her mouth, flicked a spot of dust is. It should have been Una or from one fingernail, and looked Beatricia. She was the archetype up at me. Our eyes met and held of all women and all beauty. I had contact while I spoke. After a always loved myself and nothing THE WEREMARTINl 97

else, but now she had come into horizon, and then I was there . . . the world and I was forced to love I had lost the vision of ecstasy her alone. I traced my finger and become ecstasy itself: in through the air, touching an im- short, I had transformed. I was a aginary neck. I let my finger come martini, resting at a slight tilt on to rest six inches above the desk the leather seat of the chair, gaz- at which I sat, a place I now ing out at the world in perfect mused upon as her perfect collar- rapture. I blinked my olive eye bone. I leaned back in the chair and jiggled my gin. Then I rested, and closed my eyes in order to bet- savoring the warm afterglow of ter remember hers. They were the the change. It had always been color of the Caribbean, and they this way— at first the ecstasy and rolled with deep waves of mys- then the quiet rest, the drowsiness, tery . . . the sleep that is neither sleep nor I knew then that the ecstasy something else, the loss of all sen- was coming. I had wanted to sation . . . spend the evening grading a set of When I awoke, I was curled up compositions, but such a matter in the chair, with my arms and had to wait. The spring wind was legs hanging at four awkward an- panting at the windows and the gles. I got up, stretched the cramps sweet poisons of dusk had crept out of my limbs, and went into the into the apartment ... I touched kitchen. It was already seven-thir- my shoulders with the fingers of ty. I ate a hasty breakfast of half- both hands, and a tremor of ex- cooked egg and orange juice, put citement moved through my body on a clean shirt and a new tie, and

. . . I sighed, and my sigh was the shuffled off to the University. dancing music of an Aeolian After mumbling disinterestedly harp ... I breathed, and my through a lecture directed at the breathing was the pulse of the handful of students that had come universe . . . to my eight o’elock composition Colors flashed back and forth class, I retired to my office. Dr. through my brain like fireflies in Norlin, who shared the office, set an aspen grove . . . seven sounds up a chessboard and began our met and parted and met again in daily game with pawn to king four. a paradox of dissonant harmony He was a Negro, with deep lines

. . . I was floating down a stream of sorrow written in his forehead of sound, of sonorous tones and and cheeks. He smiled sadly, deep rhythms, rolling through a touched one finger to the side of country of color beneath a sky of his nose, and said, “You look taste . . . and then I saw the dis- tired, John.” tant ocean like a white froth on the "I spent the evening grading 98 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION themes,” I answered, grinning “Oh! I’m sorry. But I have a cynically. He laughed gently, class at one.” looked down at the chess board, “Why don’t I give you an ap- and pursed his lips. pointment for nine tomorrow?”

“Sicilian?” “Well . . . okay.” “Yes.” I opened my data book and “It loses.” jotted down the appointment. My I laughed, partly because I was hand was white; it trembled. feeling very nervous and partly “Thank you, Mr. Ward. I’ll because I knew that he would beat come in tomorrow.” She smiled me. He always beat me. He was with her eyes and lips, and I was Phi Beta Kappa, Rhodes, and Con- lost in the mystery of deep ocean gressional Medal of Honor in the waves . . . war, and he always beat me at “Your move, John,” said Mr. chess. I cannot say that my envy Norlin, after she had left. I shook of Dr. Norlin was of a nasty and my head and turned to the game. unfriendly sort, but nonetheless it By nine-forty I had resigned. made me very upset at times, per- haps because he was a Negro, per- In the passage of a month, my haps because he was indeed a passion increased and became fe- humble man. Or perhaps I envied verish. My dreams were only of him his energy. He was a dynamo. her, and so too my reveries. In a He did everything, and did it few weeks the semester would end well. and she would be gone — I knew I was a pawn down when it not whether to weep or rejoice. happened. At nine-thirty a rap Every night I left the apartment sounded on the door, which then and walked across the campus to opened before cither of us could the sorority house where she lived, rise from our chairs. She was tormenting myself like an acned wearing a white shirtdress wliose youngster suffering his first love. open neck revealed a brown V of Sometimes I would linger there suntan. She smiled gently at the for half the night, gazing up at edge of my desk and closed the the lighted windows and pictur- door behind her. ing her behind each of them, like “Hello, Sharon,” I stammered. a devil of many forms, forever un- “May I help you?” dressing, and dressing herself. In “I was wondering whether you my mind, she danced for me, un- could explain something to me, dulating through a cloud of thick

Mr. Ward. About Milton.” perfumes . . . her body coiled like “Well, my office hours are one a bronze snake in Eden, wrap- to two this afternoon.” ping itself around my soul and THE WEREMARTINI 99

crushing it . . . withig; the links apprehensive. I leaned back in a

of my desire, I was a prisoner . . . chair and waited for her voice, During this time, I never trans- happy now and ready to execute formed, never wanted to. I had my plan. found a new goal and could not “Hello.” be satisfied with less. I knew that “HeUo, Sharon. This is Mr. I had to wed her. But to her I was Ward.” nothing more than a pedagogic “Oh! Hello, Mr. Ward.” nuisance— a grievance which “I phoned you to ask a favor. must be suffered. In her eyes, I Will you be busy during the next could see visions of a summer in hour or so?”

Fort Lauderdale, and it drove me “Well, no . . . but . . mad with anger. “I caught a cold this morning, “Carl,” I said, turning to Dr, which is why I wasn’t in class this Norlin one day in my office. “I afternoon, and the way I feel now don’t know how to say this, but I I think I’ll be sick for another must. I’ve fallen in love with a week at least . . .” student.” “Oh, I’m sorry, Mr. Ward . . He looked up, only slightly as- “You’ve been doing very well in tonished. class, Sharon, and I thought that

“And she . . , she’d laugh in my perhaps you wouldn’t mind lead- face if I told her. What can I do?” ing the discussion this Friday. He laughed. The silly bastard I’ve already checked, and I can’t laughed. It was then that I began get one of the other professors to to hate him. substitute for me until next Mon- “John,” he said, “you’ve been day. Do you suppose you eould working too hard, that’s all. Sum- take over for a day?” mer vacation will cure every- “Well . . . thank you, Mr. Ward, .” thing.” I wouldn’t mind at all, but . . I got up and walked out of the “The only problem is this: I’ve room. He had laughed at me. I got some mimeographed sheets I felt my face burning with shame. want distributed Friday, and I Muttering to myself, I walked was wondering if you could stop back to the security of my apart- by my apartment tonight and get ment and crawled into bed. But tliem.” then, after half an hour of sulk- “Oh, I see. Well, yes, certainly ing, the answer came to me. It was ... I can do that. Is it okay if I simple. It was beautiful. come over now?” At seven that evening I lifted “Yes. The address is 2401 High. the phone and dialed her number. Just two blocks up from the thea- I was no longer afraid, no longer ter.” 100 FANT.ASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

“Okay. I’ll be right up. It’ll be hands together in ecstasy . . . the real easy ’cause I’vd got a car . . wind was blowing and I could en-

“Very good. I’ll see you in a few vision her riding above the tree- minutes, Sharon.” tops on the triumph car of Bea- “Okay.” tricia ... I touched my cheeks and “Goodbye.” sighed, letting the pulsing current “Bye.” of sound wash through my veins I hung up the phone and and set my brain buzzing with laughed. At first I laughed gently, madness . . . the ecstasy was com- with a quiet glee, but then my ing now, like starry fire in the head began to bounce and my eyes night sky ... it burnt through my to water, and I roared with mirth body and tossed me into the river

... it was so easy, so obvious . . . of sound that flows through a why hadn’t I thought of it before? country of color beneath a sky of

. . . it didn’t matter now, none of taste ... I swept through a thou- my torment did ... I continued sand eddies of harmony into the

to laugh for at least a minute . . . great ocean of mist ... all around Then I arose and dressed my- me swam a myriad of deep-sea self in a bathrobe and slippers, creatures, darkly-hued as ancient wrapping a scarf around my neck emerald and frilled with a thou-

and placing a half-glass of orange sand electric-blue tendrils . . . juice on the living room table. I they touched me with their pseu- had scarcely settled down when dopods and tentacles, gazing into the doorbell rang. Arising and my soul with great golden eyes, walking to the door, I assumed an and then carried me down to the attitude of sickliness. floor of the ocean, where the mu-

“Hello, Sharon.” sic was deep and primal . . . they “Hi, Mr. Ward.” She was wear- placed me in tlie gaping mouth of ing the white shirtdress — a sym- an irridescent oyster ... it closed bol of the purity and virgin inno- about me and I shrieked with ec-

cence she was soon to offer me, stasy . . . and her eyes sparkled deep dark And then I sat waiting, watch- blue as she stepped into the ing the door with my single olive apartment. eye. In a minute I heard her voice “Just a minute — I’ll go get the from the living room; “Mr. Ward! papers. Make yourself at home.” I Are you all right?” I waited. I walked into my bedroom, half could hear her pacing across the closing the door behind me so rug. Then the door opened and that she could not see me. Then I she peeked in: Where are you?

sat down in the leather-bound Are you . . Then she knew that chair at my desk and clasped my I wasn’t in the room. She lifted THE WEREMARTIKI 101 one hand to her mouth and looked she and we were One, One, One back over her shoulder. Then she tiptoed in, her eyes wide with We awoke from our ecstasy and fear. touched our body. It was Sharon’s "Where could he have gone?” body and it was John Ward’s mind

She looked in the closet, which that touched it. Our curiosity re- was, of course, empty. Then she veled upon the soft curve and saw me, waiting for her on the down of our arms. We went to the chair. “A martini?” She picked me kitchen and gazed at our Carib up and looked at me for a mo- blue eyes in the mirror. We were ment. Then she set me down, be- indeed beautiful . . . ing very careful to place me ex- Then we knew what we had to actly where I had been, and went do —one thing remained. We went to the windows. They were, of to die phone and dialed a num- course, locked from the inside. ber. We smiled and caressed our She sat down on the bed and body as the distant ring of the rubbed her brow with one hand. phone buzzed in our ear. Then she looked at me again. "Hello?” Arising and returning to the chair, "Hello, Dr. Norlin?” she lifted me once more, as though "Yes, this is he.” fascinated by the clear sparkle of ‘T)r. Norlin, this is Sharon Lew- my liquid innards. I rolled my is. I don’t know whether you know olive eye and gazed at her. With a me, but I’ve got to see you. I’ve got sudden movement she lifted me to to see you tonight. It’s about . . . her lips and drank me . . . it’s about Mr. Ward.” Once again I shrieked with ec- There was a long pause. We stasy, spilling into her with a daz- knew what Dr. Norlin was think- zling explosion, waiting for one ing. Then . . . moment before the charmed magic "Very well. Do vou know where casements of the world that was I live?” her body, then leaping into her "Yes. Oh, thank you Dr. Norlin! tissues, into her blood, into her You don’t know how important it very soul ... I felt her body writh- is!” ing with mad passion as I con- ‘TU be waiting. It’s no disturb- quered it, flooding into its remot- ance.” est parts, suffusing my liquid po- "I’ll be right over. Thank you .” tions throughout its cells . . . and again . . then I entered her brain and we "Yes, yes. Goodbye.” become one — perfect One that "Bye.” knows all and is content to know We left the house of one Mr. nothing . . . she was I and I was Ward, Assistant Professor of F.ng- 102 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION lish Literature and sometime vic- check our lipstick. We were going tim of polymorphous sexuality, to the house of Dr. Norlin. The now deceased in a certain sense. bastard had laughed at our love. Before we left, however, we were Now we were beautiful, and he very careful to undo one more would love us, but we would only

button of our shirtdress and to laugh at him . . .

Through Time And Space With Ferdinand Feghoot: LXIII

The singular gravitational field of Hennypenny’s Planet made it perfect for the raising of poultry. The Northern Hemisphere, where gravity was only at Moon level, was ideal for breasts, thighs, and drumsticks; the Southern, where it was three times Earth’s, produced unequalled egg crops. Consequently the entire popula- tion was prosperous, and milhons of retired librarians, sea-cap- tains, and mathematics professors made fortunes almost without lifting a finger. But there was one fly in their ointment. Their hilly world had only short-distance radio, and their technology was inadequate to the problem. Naturally, they called in Ferdinand Feghoot— and in a very few days he had long-range transmissions going full blast. "Mr. Feghoot,” cried the Elders, as tliey measured him for his statue, “hovr did you do it? And at such a low cost?” "It wasn’t too hard,” their benefactor replied modestly. "What you lacked was something to reflect radio waves back to the sur- face, so I simply took one of your wonderful Southern Hemisphere hens and placed her in orbit.” "But— but we don’t understand. How could one of our very ?” own hens — “Look at it this way,” said Ferdinand Feghoot. “I provided your planet with a heavy side layer.”

—Grendel Briarton (_xviih thanks to Simon Kahn')

See Feghoot advertisement in "Marketplace” page 128. The existence of a flourishing Japanese Science Fiction has

( except for a few moving pictures as bad as anything turned out by Hollywood) been largely unnoticed in the United States. British SF has always been with us, examples of the French genre (ably translated by Damon Knight) have ap- peared in our pages recently, and Hugo Correa’s THE LAST ELEMENT (April, 1962) has revealed the South American

field to us. Bokko-chan is the first Japanese SF story to ap- pear here—and, so far as we know, to appear in any English language magazine. The author is a thirty-six year old re- tired Tokyo pharmacological manufacturer who now devotes all his time to writing Science Fiction, and his stories have been collected in three volumes—Jiazo Bijin (“A Man-Made Beauty”), Youkoso Chikyu-san (“Hello, Mr. Earth”), and Akuma No Iru Tengoku (“The Heaven Where Satan Lives”). His hobbies are playing golf, and collecting nestsuke (minia- ture Japanese carvings) and American cartoon and comic books. Noriyoshi Saito, the translator, works for the Civil Aviation Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation, con- ducts a proprietarial school for students of English, and translates to and from both languages. And now we will intro- duce reader-san to a piost unusual B-girl, “a man-made beau- ty”, whose name is

Bokko-chan

by Shin’ichi Hoslii

(translated by Noriyoshi Saito)

The robot was really a signed to be the perfect beauty, work of art. It was a female robot Every element that went to make and, being artificial, she was de- up a charming girl was taken into

103 KM FANTASY AND SC'.lliNCK I'lCTION consideration. The trouble was beauties, she was rather empty- that .she looked a little prissy, but headed, since the designing of a who can deny that a prissy air is an complex brain was beyond the indispensable prerequisite for a capabilities of her inventor. She beauty? was able to answer questions of Nobody else had ever ventured the simplest form and perform to build such a robot. Indeed it simple motions, such as taking a was silly to build a robot just to do drink. the work of a man when for an The bar-master named her equal amount of expense one “Bokko-chan” and placed her on a could design more efficient ma- chair behind the counter of his chinery or hire suitable workers bar so that she would not be too from among the many whose ap- close to the customers. He was plications jammed the “Situation afraid the robot might show her Wanted” columns of the classified cloven hoof upon close examina- ads. tion by the patrons of the bar. However, this robot was made So a new girl appeared at the at leisure by die master of a cer- bar and all of the visitors greeted tain bar. A bar-master, in general, her pleasantly. She behaved satis- will not drink at home at all. For factorily until she was asked some- him liquor exists only as his stock- thing other than her name and in-trade which should never be age. And yet, fortunately enough, consumed for private use. And nobody noticed she was a robot. those haunting drunkards who “What’s your name. Baby?” frequented his bar so willingly “Bokko-chan.” helped him to make money with “How old are you?” which he was able to spend his off “I’m still young.” hours in pursuit of a hobby. “WeU, how young are you?” It happened that his hobby was "I’m still young.” (he building of a charming robot- “I say, how young are you?” ess. “Tm still young.” Since this was his only hobby Fortunately the patrons of the he spared neither effort nor money bar were polite enough not to pur- in designing her. For instance, she sue the question of her age any was covered with a skin so smooth further. lliat it could hardly be distin- “Nice dress you wear, huh?” guished from that of a real girl. It "Nice dress I wear, don’t I?” is no exaggeration to say that she “What do you like best?” was more enchanting than the “What do I like best?”

genuine beauties around. “WiU you drink a glass of . . . llnfortunately, like many great say, gin fizz?” BOKKO-CHAN 105

“I will drink a glass of . . . say, spout had been installed. From gin fizz.” this spout he would drain the Bokko-chan never objected to a cocktails that she had drank and, drink. Nor did she ever become being a frugal man, he would intoxicated. serve them again to the customers. Charming, young, prissy and However, the patrons of the bar smart to chat with. The story of were not aware of this and they the new girl at the bar spread never ceased to praise the female throughout the neighborhood and robot. They praised her youth and the number of visitors to the bar beauty, her steady character, the increased. And every visitor en- fact that she never flattered too joyed himself hy chatting and much, and that she never lost her drinking with the charming Bok- senses from drinking. Thus the ko-chan. Indeed, she seemed to popularity and fame of Bokko- please everyone. cWn grew and grew as did the “Whom do you like best among number of customers at the bar. us all?” Among the many admirers of “Whom do I like best among Bokko-chan was a young man you all?” whose infatuation with her be- “Do you like me?” came so great that he visited the "I do like you.” bar every evening. Night after “Well, then, let’s go and see night he tried to talk her into go- some movies.” ing out with him without any suc- “Well, then, shall we go and cess at all. Her lack of response spe some movies?” nearly drove him crazy and he “When shall we go?” spent much more than he could

_ Whenever Bokko-chan was afford in an effort to impress her. asked a question she could not an- His frequent visits to the bar swer she would signal the bar- caused him to run up a consider- master who would immediately able bill and when the bar-master rush to her side. called him to account he at-

“Hey, mister, it’s not polite to tempted to steal from his father in be flirting with such a baby so order to pay his debts. much.” His father caught him at his The insistent visitor could but attempted theft and a bitter scene grin and retire gracefully under followed during which the father the stem admonition of the bar- agreed to advance the young man master. enough money to pay his debts The bar-master would some- provided he would promise never times crouch at the foot of Bokko- to visit the bar again. chan in which a small plastic That evening the youth re- U)6 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION turned to the bar to pay his bill "I will go to Hell.” and, knowing that this was his The boy quickly settled his bill last visit, he drank much and with the bar-master and ran out treated Bokko-chan. into the night. “I shan’t come any more.” It was almost closing time and “You won’t come any more.” the bar-master was pleased with “Are you sad?” having collected such a large debt. “I am sad.” He drained the liquor from Bokko- “In reality, you are not, are chan and set up drinks for all on you?” the bar.

“In reality, I am not.” “Drink up, men,” said the bar- “No other girl is as cold-hearted master, “this is my treat.” as you.” The patrons of the bar drank a “No other girl is as cold-hearted toast to the bar-master which he as I.” acknowledged by draining his

“Shall I kill you?” own glass. “Will you kill me?” On that night the lights of the The youth pulled a pack of bar were not put out and the ra- drugs from his pocket, poured them dio continued to play music. No- into his glass then pushed the glass body departed and yet nobody toward Bokko-chan. spoke. “Will you drink this?” And the time came when the “I will drink this.” radio said “Good night” as the sta- Bokko-chan lifted the glass and tion signed off the air. drained its contents. “Good night,” said Bokko-chan “Go to Hell, will you?” the boy waiting with all her prissy air for said. the next man to call her.

C03MMi\G NEXT 3iONTH GLORY ROAD a oew novel by RORERT A. HEIALEIA This is one of the damndest stories we have ever read.

TIS THE SEASON TO BE JELLY

by Richard Matlieson

Pa’s nose fell off at break- “Git back up here,” Ma said. fast. It fell right into Ma’s coffee Prunella scrabbled back onto her and displaced it. Prunella’s rock, eye streaming tears of laugh- wheeze blew out the gut lamp. ter. “Giddy chile,” said Ma. She “Land o’ goshen, dad,’’ Ma said, slung another scoop of mush on in the gloom, "If ya know’d it was Prunella’s board. “Go to,” she said. ready t’plop whyn’t ya tap it off She picked Pa’s nose out of her y’self?” corn coffee and pitched it at him. "Didn’t know,’’ said Pa. “Ma, I’m fixin’ t’ask ’er t’day," “That’s what ya said the last said Luke. time. Paw,” said Luke, choking on “Be ya, son?” said Ma, “Thet’s his bark bread. Uncle Rock nice.” snapped his fingers beside the “Ain’t no pu’pose to it!” Grampa lamp. Prunella’s wheezing shot said, “The dang force o’ life is the flicker out. spent!” "Shet off ya laughin’, gal,” “Now, pa,” said Pa, “Don’t fuss scolded Ma. Prunella toppling off the young ’un’s mind-to.” her rock in a flurry of stumps, "Says right hyeh!” said Grampa, spilling liverwort mush. tapping at the journal with his “Tarnation take it!” said Uncle wrist, “We done let in the wave- Eyes. len’ths of anti-life, that’s what we “Well, combust the wick, com- done!” bust the wick!” demanded Grampa "Manure," said Uncle Eyes, who was reading when the light "Ain’t we livin’?” went out. Prunella wheezed, “I’m talkin’ ’bout the coming thrashing on the dirt. gene-rations, ya dang fool!” Gram- Uncle Rock got sparks again pa said. He turned to Luke. “Ain’t and lit the lamp. no pu’pose to it, boy!” he said, “Where was I now'?” said “You cain’t have no young ’uns Grampa. nohow!”

107 108 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

“Thet’s what they tole Pa ’n’ me bling back to the table. He too,” soothed Ma, "An’ we got two punched the thigh bone back into lovely chillun. Don’t ya pay no play. Prunella ate wheezingly. mind t’Grampa, son.” “Leg aloosenin’ agin, son?” “We’s cornin’ apart!” said Gram- asked Ma. pa, “Our cells is unlockin’! Man “She’ll hold, I reckon,” said says right hyeh! We’s like jelly, Luke. breakin’-down jelly!” “Says right hyeh!” said Grampa, “Not me,” said Uncle Rock. “We’uns clompin’ round under a "W'hen you fixin’ t’ask ’er, son?” killin’ umbrella. A umbrella o’ asked Ma. death!” “We done bollixed the priteck- “Bull" said Uncle Eyes. He tive canopce!” said Grampa. lifted his middle arm and winked “Can o’ what?” said Uncle at Ma with the blue one. “Go long,” Ryes. said Ma, gumming oft a chuckle. "This mawnin’,” said Luke. The east wall fell in. “We done prcgnayted the “Thar she goes,” observed Pa. clouds!” said Grampa. Prunella tumbled off her rock “She’ll be mighty glad,” said and rolled out, wheezing, through Ma. She rapped Prunella on the tlie opening. “High-speerited gal,” skull with a mallet. “Eat with ya said Ma, brushing cheek flakes off mouth, chile,” she said. the table. “We’ll get us hitched up come “What about my corner now?” May,” said Luke. asked Luke. “We done low pressured the “Says right hyeh!” said Grampa, weather sistem!” Grampa said. “Lectric charges is afummadid- “We’ll get ya corner ready,” dled! Tomic structure’s unseam- said Ma. in!!” Uncle Rock, cheeks flaking, “We’ll prop ’er up again,” said chewed mush. Ma, “Don’t ya fret none, Luke.” “We done screwed up the dang “Have us a wing-ding,” said master plan!” said Grampa. Uncle Eyes, “Jute beer ’n’ all.” “Aw, shet yer ravin’ craw!” said “Ain’t no pu’pose to it!” said Uncle Eyes. Grampa, “We done smithereened “Shet yer own!” said Grampa. the whole kiboodle!” “Let’s have a little ear-blessin’ “Now Pa,” said Ma, “Ain’t no harminy round hyeh,” said Pa, pu’pose in apreachin’ doom nuth- scratching his nose. He spat once er. Ain’t they been apreachin’ it and downed a flying spider. Pru- since I was a tyke? Ain’t no rea- nella won the race. son in the wuld why Luke hyeh “Dang leg,” said Luke, hob- shouldn’t hitch hisself up with TIS THE SEASON TO BE JELLY 109

Annie Lou. Ain’t he got him two Mushroom Valley. He wished strong arms and four strong legs? there were horses. He had to stop Ain’t no sense in settin’ out the three times to re-insert his leg. dance o’ life.” Annie Lou’s folks were hunker- “VVe’uns ain’t got naught t’fear ing down to dinner when Luke ar- but fear its own self,” observed Pa. rived. Uncle Slow W'as still eating Uncle Rock nodded and raked breakfast. a sulphur match across his jaw to “Howdy, Mister Mooncalf,” said light his punk. Luke to Annie Lou’s pa. “Ya gotta have faith,” said Ma, “Howdy, Hoss,” said Mr. Moon- “Ain’t no sense in Godless gloom- calf. in’ fellers.” “Pass,” said Uncle Slow. like them signtist , “Stick ’em in the army, I say,” “Draw up sod,” said Mr. Moon- said Uncle Eyes, “Poke a Z-bomb calf, “Plenty chow fer all.” down their britches an’ send ’em “Jest et,” said Luke, “Whar’s jiggin’ at the enemy!” Annie Lou?” “Spray ’em with fire acids,” said “Out the well fetchin’ whater,” Pa. Mr. Mooncalf said, ladling bitter “Stick ’em in a jug o’ germ vetch with his flat hand. juice,” said Uncle Eyes, “Whiff a “The,” said Uncle Slow. fog o’ vacuum viriss up their “Reckon I’ll help ’er lug the snoots. Give ’em hell Golumbia.” bucket then,” said Luke. “That’ll teach ’em,” Pa observed. “How’s ya folks?” asked Mrs. Mooncalf, salting pulse seeds. “We ivaivked t’geiher through “Jest fine,” said Luke, “Top o’ the yallar rain. the heap.” Our luv teas stronger than the “Mush,” said Uncle Slow. blisterin’ pain “Glad t’hear it, Hoss,” said Mr. The sky was boggy and yer skin Mooncalf. rvas new “Give ’em our crawlin’ beat,” My hearts was heatin'—Annie, said Mrs. Mooncalf. I luv you. “Sure will,” said Luke. Luke raced across the mounds, “Dammit,” said Uncle Slow. phantom like in the purple light Luke surfaced through the air of his gutbucket. His voice swirled hole and cantered toward the well, in the soup as he sang the poem kicking aside three littles and one he’d made up in the well one day. big that squished irritably. He turned left at Fallout Ridge, “How is yo folks?” asked the followed Missile Gouge to Shock- middle little. wave Slope, posted to Radiation “None o’ yo dang business,” Cut and galloped all the way to said Luke. no FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

Annie Lou was drawing up the “Don’t matter none,” said Luke. water bucket and holding on to the He picked a swimming spider side of the well. She had an annful from the bucket and plucked at its of loose bosk blossoms. legs. “Sh’luvs me,” he said, blush- Luke said, “Howdy.” ing, “Sh’luvs me not. Ow!” The “Howdy, Hoss,” she wheezed, spider flipped away, teeth clicking flashing her tooth in a smile of angrily. ' love. Luke gazed at Annie Lou, look- “What happened t’yer other ing from eye to eye. ear?” asked Luke. “Well,” he said, “Will ya?” “Aw, Hoss,” she gigled. Her “Oh, Hoss!” She embraced him April hair fell down the well. at the shoulders and waist. “I “Aw, P.shaw,” said Annie Lou. thought you’d never ask!” “Tell ya,” said Luke, “Somcp’n “Ya will?" on my cerabeelum. Got that wild "Sho!" I'rom Grainpa,” lie said, proudly, “Creeps!” cried Luke, “I’m the

“Means I got me a mindliill.” hapiiiest floss wot ever lived!” “That riglil?” said Annie Lou, At which he kissed her hard on piU'liing bosk blossoms in bis face the lip and went olf racing across lo bide her rising color. the flats, curly mane streaming

“Yep,” said I, tike, grinning shy- behind, yelling and whooping. ly. He piincbeil at his thighbone. “Ya-hoo! I’m so happy! I’m so "Dang leg,” he said. happy, happy, happy!” “Givin’ ya trouble agin, Hoss?” His leg fell off. He left it be- asked Annie Lou. hind, dancing. Introduction to John Jay Wells'

and Marion Zimmer Bradley's ANOTHER RIB

We do not know if either of the co-authors of this story were familiar with the Cabbalistic teaching that Adam Cadmon, or Primal Man, was androgynous; or with the far from notion- al statement of the great medieval Biblical Commentator, Rashi, that the word translated as “rib” in Genesis 1, xxi actu- ally means “side,” and that the operation in fact—by removing the feminine “side” of Adam Androgyne—transformed our bisexual Ancestor into our monosexual ancestors. Familiar or not, they have taken an admittedly daring theme and dealt with it in good sense and good taste. Marion Zimmer Bradley, whose first major sale was CENTAURUS CHANGELING (FirSF, April, 1954), hails from “a somewhat Lovecraftian farm in upstate New York,” now lives in Texas with her hus- band and twelve year old son. She has published many stories and books in many different fields under many different names, but says that Science Fiction is her first love and the only fiction that she consistently writes under her own name. Mrs. Bradley also describes herself as “a nut on circus acro- batics, carnivals, Italian opera, and folksinging.” If any of these interests are shared by John Jay Wells, we cannot say. In fact, we can say very little about him. His real name is known only to his collaborator, who describes him as in ama- teur journalism, and having some reputation, additionally, as a promising artist. And now suppose you read their story? It is a strange one, and it occurs under the strange stars of a strange world , , .

Ill ANOTHER RIB

by John Jay Wells and Marion Zimmer Bradley

“Remember, you requested sluggish circulation forcing them- it,” Fanu murmured. The little selves, at last, even through the alien’s pronunciation was as numbness of his brain. Fanu was toneless, as flat as ever, and yet, waiting. somehow, it carried sympathy Fanu was always waiting. The and distress. “I am sorry, John.” alien had waited aeons. Not Fanu John Everett slumped before himself, of course, but his kind. the film viewer. At last, reluctant- Waiting; always waiting for other ly, he leaned forward and under- life forms, other intelligences, new lined his shock with a second civilizations —new enthusiasms. view. “When —when did you take They had waited too long. There this?” he asked. weren’t many left. “A — I do not know your words “Looks like we’ve joined you,” for it — a revolution ago. Do you Everett muttered, bitterly, at last. ?” wish for a current view, my "I do not —quite understand — friend?” “You said ” he paused, grop- “No. God, no! This is bad ing for a kind word, “that your enough. You’re — sure of your people were becoming extinct. identification?” Looks like mine are — already.” ” Fanu’s three-lingered hand rif- “Survivors — fled expertly for a sheet of co-or- He got to his feet so quickly he dinates. Shaking, forcing his eyes knocked over the chair, and spent and mind to activity, Everett fumbling minutes setting it right. checked the data, glancing back “But there are no survivors. We now and then at the viewer to were the first probe. Out to the verify. There was no doubt. That stars. All the way to Proxima Cen- was Sol — that had been the Sun tauri. Eor what? An Earth-type — that vast incandescent swirl planet. Fine, we found one — but covering ... oh God, covering a for what? For whom? Oh, God, for range well beyond Pluto! whom!” He became aware that he had “John,” softly, a three-fingered been sitting quite still for many hand falling on his shoulder, “You long minutes, stiff muscles and are not alone, not as I am. You

112 ”

ANOTHER RIB 113

have your friends, your—your then moving close together as if to crew.” draw comfort from their group, Everett walked over to the win- their solidity. dow, and stared out at the valley, “There’s —no mistake, Cap’n?” dotted with the tiny huts of the Chord asked timidly. He always expedition. “For now, yes. Sixteen spoke timidly; incongruous for men — a good crew. But were such a giant. mortal, Fanu. Human life is piti- “I’ve seen the plates myself, fully short, compared with yours. and the co-ordinates. Chord. And We’re mortal — and we’re all male. I have no reason to doubt Fanu’s By your standards, we’re —here to- — the alien’s — data. From what day and gone tomorrow.” I’ve been able to gather, it must “Are you quite sure that need have happened about six months be, John?” after we left. His equipment’s su- Everett turned to look into the perior to ours, but pretty soon

alien’s large green eyes, cursing we’ll be able to see it for our- the inevitable semantic differ- selves.” ences, the inability to get a point Somewhere in the back row of across in a hurry. Suddenly the the group of men, there was a shock, the numbness broke into muffled sob. He could see the an- stark horror. He couldn’t stand guish on the other faces, men here painstakingly explaining the struggling with the idea of a fu- differences in the word men and ture that was no future at all. - the word male to a friendly alien, Young Latimer from the drive

when he’d just found out . . . room — the one they all called Tip found out ... his voice stran- —had bent over and buried his gled. “Just take my word for it, face in his hands. It was Tsen, the Fanu,” he said thickly, “in fifty young navigator, who finally man- years, homo sapiens will be a lot aged the question on all their more extinct tlian your people. minds. Now —I’ve got to go and — and tell “Then it’s —just us, sir?” them “Just us.” Everett waited a mo- He stumbled blindly away and ment, then turned away, dismiss- fumbled for the door, conscious ing them with his back. It wasn’t of the big green eyes still fixed a thing you could make speeches compassionately on his back. about. One way or another, they’d

have to come to terms with it, He had managed to calm him- every man for himself. self and speak quietly, but the men were as shocked as he had He heard the rustle of Fanu’s been, first numb in silent horror. garments, and turned to smile a ”

114 FANT.\SY AND SCIENCE FICTION greeting. The two stood side by make ourselves comfortable, be- side on the hilltop, looking down fore we— go.” at the men working in the little “There is no need to die." valley. “What is it to be?” He swung around to face the Fanu finally— inquired. alien. “You’ve been hinting that “It’s ” Everett could not sup- and hinting that for the last two press an amused smile, “a hospital months! If there’s one thing worse for you — and Garrett, the pharm- than despair it’s false hope! Even acist’s mate.” if your people were immortal, and “Oh?” Fanus features could not they’re not— duplicate a smile, but his eyes “I did not mean to anger you, blinked rapidly with pleasure. John.” The strange little paw up- “Tliat is most kind. Most kind.” lifted in apology. “Hardly. It just takes care of “Then quit hinting and say one problem. The two of you can something.” keep us in good health. I’m sure.” “Mammals— ” Fanu began, then “Your race is so strong!” Fanu’s halted, obviously groping for the toneless voice gave, nevertheless, proper terminology. an impression of ama/ement and “Yes, we’re mammals, techni- awe. “My own people, under such cally,” Everett snorted, “the mam- a sentence as yours, gave them- maliam characteristic perished selves over to despair.” with our solar system, though.”

“You think we didn’t?” Ever- “That is not true — or it need ett’s jaw tightened, remembering not be true.” tlie first few weeks; the dazed men, Everett stared at the alien, wish- Garrett stopped in the very act of ing for the thousandth time that slashing Kis wrists. Then he he could read that dark expression. straightened his back. “We’ve Fanu went on “I have observed found that hard work is a remedy your race in undress, compared for despair, or at least — a good the information from your study defense against it.” reels —from your ship — the mate- “I see,” remarked the alien. “Or rial you brought to me so gra- ” at least — I understand that it ciously— I cannot thank you — might be so. But how long can “Yes, yes!” he broke in. Fanu you work? Will you fill the valley was so damned polite. He liked with your superbly constructed the alien, but the only one of the buildings? For sixteen of your Earthmen who really got along race?” with him perfectly was Tsen, who Everett shook his head, bitterly. was used to all this overdone “We’ll all be dead before we can courtesy. fill the valley. But at least we’ll “Forgive me, what I mean is. ”

ANOTHER RIB 115

your . . . two sexual groups are so “Well, it’s a matter of—my close together. . men wouldn’t stand for it. We’re Everett’s eyes widened. Then he not gumea pigs,” he finished, tes- laughed, embarrassed. “You just tily. lost me. I mean, I don’t under- “No.” The voice was compas- stand your statement, Fanu.’’ sionate again. “You are a race “Your two sexual types are so doomed to extinction, with a pos- — ’’ exceptionally similar sible way out. My race had no such “Oh, lord, vive la difference!” second chance.” Everett laughed aloud, and some Fanu glided away toward the of the men in the valley glanced laboratory and Everett stared after up, curious, pleased to see their him, one thought drumming captain laughing with the omnip- through his mind. “My God! He otent, knowing alien. “If you mean wasn’t theorizing! He—he meant our— females had two arms, two it!” legs, and a head, yes, we were verj' similar, but— The slight noise finally made Fanu regarded John with com- him look up. He hadn’t heard any- passion. “No, not that. I mean one come in, and started involun- that, compared to our race, your tarily at seeing Chord’s great hulk own sexual differences seem mi- before him. nute. It would be a relatively sim- “Sorry to disturb you, Cap’ll.” ple matter to convert one to the “That isn’t necessary. Chord. -other. I recall in the tapes several What can I do for you?” instances in which this sort of The big man smiled sheepishly. change occurred naturally, and “Flard to break habits, sir. Guess I others in which the changes were never will.” Despite his size and brought about medically.” demeanor. Chord was not stupid, Everett knew his eyes were though hampered by poor educa- bulging, and he felt the anger tion and embarrassment for his rising in his throat. He beat it giant clumsy body. Now he down. Fanu wouldn’t know. He shifted uneasily from foot to foot could read about the taboos of an- as he mumbled. “I — guess I’ve other race without fully appreciat- been picked out as a representa- ing ... in spite of his revulsion, tive, sir. For— for the men.” Everett gave a spluttering laugh. “Gripe committee? Look, I’m “Yes, yes, I see your point, Fanu. not really your superior any more. It’s an interesting theory, but even Chord. We’re all together now.” if it would work, it, well, it “Yes, sir, but— you’re still Cap- wouldn’t work that way.” tain.” “Why?” Everett sighed, waited for the ” — ” —

116 F.SNT.\SY AND SCIE.NCK I ICTIUX big man to continue. “Some “Habit in morals too, John?” some of us would like to build pri- "Fanu! Look, I appreciate that vate quarters, sir. I mean —not you don’t know our taboos, prob- fights, or anything like that, we ably they’re idiotic, but—— they’re just —we’d like some privacy ours. As for the men — ’’ you know—homes, sir, like “Do you know them, John?” “Like back on Earth?” Chord “Of course.” nodded dumbly and Everett said, “How long did you expect to be "Well, I see no objection to that. here?” You didn’t need to consult me.” He opened his mouth, then “It’s just — well, sir, some of the paused to consider, mentally guys thought you might get the counting. “Six months on planet, wrong idea, sir.” eight months coming, eight months “Wrong idea?” Everett asked back.” stupidly, startled by Chord’s red “How long have you been here face. now? “Well, you know, a couple of “Eighteen —months.” His face men living alone. It’s nothing like worked, remembering some of the that, sir. Honest.” material on those cursed tape reels. He waited until Chord left be- “Fanu, you’re my friend, but what fore he permitted the embarrassed you’re suggesting is ridiculous. amusement to boil over into his You haven’t known Earthmen long face; and knew that the amusement enough to make an adequate ap- covered some strange unease that praisal.” was almost fear. Fanu shook his head solemnly. “He actually worried about it,” “There is a folk saying on your he laughed, telling Fanu later. tapes —we have a similar one “Shouldn’t he?” Fanu inquired that one may be too close to the gently. “John, don’t stare. I’m not forest to see the trees.” He ges- sure of the word in your tongue, tured John to the window and but I think your people sense that pointed. “Count them, John. Seven the — the last person to approve of small huts, and three arc smaller such a matter would be yourself.” than the others. Why?” Everett got to his feet, angrily. Trying to swallow the horror in “Are you implying that my men his throat, the suspicion that both would actually — frightened and sickened him, he “You said they were free agents. shook his head in denial. “They’re You said they were not your men.” friends. You wouldn’t under- Everett turned away, rubbing a stand.” tired hand across his eyes. "Yes, so “No?” The voice sounded very

I did. Habit.” sad. “Don’t 5'ou think wc had —

ANOTHER RIB 117

friends among our own? But you mouth. "All right,” he shouted, are blessed with bodies that will “I'll put it to them —but don’t permit friends to become mates.” blame me if they tear j'ou to pieces "Stop itl" Everett felt bke afterward!” screaming the words; be held a picture of a large whitewashed The looks on their faces had wall disintegrating before his eyes, been enough. The men knew of himself trying to hold it together Fanu, certainly. He was one of with his bare hands, of his men them now. They knew the tragic standing by, staring at him. Fanu history of his people, respected his was gesturing again. Unwillingly, knowledge, even loved him. But his eyes followed the pointing he was an outsider, and he’d proved

paw. The men had organized an it. He didn’t understand mankind. impromptu ball game of some sort, The knock on the doorframe rough house, much laughing, W'ent through him like a shock. shouting, pushing and tussling. It was Chord, and another man. Two of them stumbled and fell to- Everett blinked in the half light, gether. They were slow in getting trying to pick him out. Young up and they moved apart with both Latimer— the apprentice, the one reluctance and a touch of con- they called Tip— just a kid —my scious guilt. God! Under his nose, right under He jerked away from the win- his nose! — dow, trying to blot out tlic sight. “Cap’n ” Chord began, then The wall had large holes in it, the trailed off. The big man looked ravages of inevitability. His mind sick, stricken, and Everett became worked feverishly with brush and aware that his own expression must plaster; children, horseplaying, a be one of outright condemnation. reversion to adolescence He— the mighty tolerant, benevo- “Put the question to your men!" lent skipper. We’re all together For the first time, Fanti’s tones now, eh? hi a pig’s eyel Did he were tense with the beginnings of think he ivas Cod? Everett sud- anger. “You have a second chance, denly hated his own guts, and John! They have the right to struggled to bring his face to or- choose for themselves if they want der. With a new humility, he to die! You can’t decide for—them said "Come in. Chord. You too, all! Put it to your men, or ” he Lat—Tip. What can I do for swung around, to see that the little you?” alien was actually trembling, “or “About — about what you said, 1 shall do so on my own initia- a couple of days ago. You know,

tive.” about . . . the . . . about what Everett felt a sour taste in his Dr. Fanu said. Did he mean it?” ” — —

118 F.W’TASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

“Really mean it?” Tip added. He got up slowly, nodding. “If Everett shifted his glance. Young, that’s what you want.” They nod- yes; but there was nothing simper- ded silently and he started toward ing about him. Clear-eyes, una- the door, then turned, still torn by shamed, he met the Captain’s eyes; doubt and incredulity. a good-looking kid, the athletic, "Would you answer—one rather All-Academy type, but not too blunt question? Have you two — is good-looking. Calloused hands. A this something that developed be- faint residue of old acne scars tween you here on Prox, or were along his jawline. you —were you like this before “Well,” Everett said slowly, touchdown?” trying to keep his voice imper- Both men suddenly looked dis- sonal, “he says he means it.” mayed, disgusted, their faith in an "Dr. Fanu doesn’t strike me as intelligent commander suddenly a joker,” the l)()y continued. The cracking across the top. Chord’s lips alien had become "Doctor” to them curled in rage, but it was the boy after repairing several broken ribs who blurted out “For God’s sake, and a fractured knee or ankle in sir, what do you think we are?” the Iasi few months. "Sorry,” he said quickly, “I

"No, 1 don’t tliink he was jok- sorry. It’s good of you to volun- tt mg; teer.” He turned and led them to- “How does he — I mean — ward the hilltop laboratory, but in “I didn’t get the details,” Ever- his thouglits the unspoken answer ett cut in quickly, "But if he says drummed, over and over. “God in he can — his race is advanced Heaven, I don’t know! I honestly enough, biologically — he may be don’t know! And what’s worse, I able to do what he says. Let us don’t know what you’re going to reproduce.” be, and neither will God!” "Have babies,” Tip amended.

The bluntness shocked Everett. It’s really an elementary process He’d never put it quite that way from a surgical point of view',” even to himself. “Will you — let us Fanu began academically. talk to him. Captain?” Everett squirmed, his eyes Chord broke in, shamble- straying toward the closed door of speeched as alwaj's. “Tip and me, the hospital room, as Fanu went on we talked this over a long while. “Chemically, of course, we’re on Funny part, we always—well less sure ground. The hormones thought about something like this, must be reproduced synthetically, then Dr. Fanu came along and pituitary stimulation, a great deal said — thing is —well, will you of chanciness. It’s fortunate that take us to talk with him?” your sexes produce enough of the ” ” ” ” — ”

ANOTHER RIB 119 hormones of each so that I could imitation of it’s not naturall” test them for synthesis. But there’s “Neither is the presence of your no reason it shouldn’t work.” race on this planet.” He glared at the alien, taking “That’s different,” he countered out his emotion in fury at the sci- weakly. “That’s mechanics. This if entific coldness of that voice. “In other words, they’re just labora- “You bred domestic animals tory animals! Guinea pigs!” into alternate phenotypes for your “Not at all. It will work. It may own use. You bred humans to some take time for adjustment of tlie extent, with your limitations on glandular system, and much will marriage, compulsory sterilization ” depend on physical adjustment. for defective types — Now if I had been able to—get him “I opposed that!” Everett de- younger, before puberty fended. “That was different— “Why Tip?” he demanded, in- “And so is your situation — dif- terrupting, wanting to shift the ferent from anything that ever attention from disgusting medical happened to your race,” the alien matters, hang on to his sanity, said. The Earthman stared bleak- “I’d think Chord was so much— ly, his prejudices and his intelli- bigger, he’d be better able to gence warring. “I asked you to put “To carry a fetus? Not at all. it to your men, John. You did.

Unfortunately it’s a matter of pel- You considered it only fair that vic development. Chord is much they should make their own deci- too masculine, his pelvis—much sion. They did. Now you oppose too narrow to accommodate it." Everett exploded in hysterical “I brought them here, didn’t I?” laughter. “Too masculine! That’s “Yes, and I thank you for that. a jolt, isn’t it! Too masculine!” Some day you shall thank your- “I can give you a sedative,” the self.” alien said tonelessly, “You sound “I doubt that. Oh, I know by as if you needed one.” But the )'our reasoning. I’m —an anachron- hand on his shoulder was faintly ism, but I still can’t ” he trailed comforting. Everett pulled himself off, glancing back at the hospital together a little, and Fanu said door. “Why both of them, if you “John, it must— be. If your race is can only—convert one?” to survive Fanu blinked in surprise. “For “Maybe we shouldn’t survive!” their physical pleasure, John. I he snarled. “Wouldn’t it be more understand that is quite important decent to die, die clean and hu- to your species, whether or not as man and what we were intended to a means of reproduction. Certain be, than as some — some obscene anatomical rearrangements — 120 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

“Spare me!” He saw the alien creasingly sensitive to the alien did not understand the phrase and gestures and intonations, knew he made some elaboration. was wounded. He blinked sol- “Oh,” the alien murmured an emnly. “It makes it possible for apology. “I thought you would him, guinea pig if you prefer, to be wish—to know.” both sexes. What must be done is “I ” Everett swallowed. “I’d to transfer one set of lobes, and the rather know about the scientific nature of these makes it possible to

part of it. I still don’t understand. separate, and increase the chances I mean, there are males and there of success. We can subject the in- are females, and that’s that.” terstitial tissue to massive doses of “Not at all, not in your species. hormones, and DNA mutating There are members, like your materials.” Everett evidently crew, with predominantly male looked skeptical, for Fanu hurried organs and vestigial female organs, to the laboratory animal cages and and —presumably. I’ve only seen extracted a furry little native films —predominantly female or- mammal, about the size of a squir- gans and only rudimentary male rel. “It works, John. It works. This organs.” He paused. “Shall I go is proof. Not changed at infancy on?” or at puberty, but as a full-grown The Captain found that he male!” wanted a stiff drink, but nodded Everett stroked the animal ab-

for Fanu to continue. sently, glumly. “Yes, but it’s not “There are vestigal organs, as human. And— will they be?” I say, and certain common ele- Fanu didn’t answer. Everett ments. The DNA factor can be hadn’t expected him to answer. cross-stimulated by hormones, certain chemicals — it was done A few of the comments were long ago, to a limited extent, by lewd, as he’d expected, but most of your own scientists.” Everett the men were kind. He had gone watched tlie alien doctor pick up down to the recreation hall, gotten a phial and hold the contents to a glass of their home-brewed ale the light. “It’s most fortunate that and listened, fading into the back- your race comes equipped with ground. No more than three or pairs of everything, including the four of the men had made cracks, reproductive organs.” and they were the ones who’d “It gives you a guinea pig ex- make cracks about anything, sim- pendable.” ply for lack of anything better to If Fanu had been capable of do. Good workers, but dense in the human expression, he would prob- empathy department. ably have looked hurt; Everett, in- “May I sit down, sir?” ” —

ANOTHER RIB 121

It was Tsen. Everett gestured it requires an attraction to others, and watched the little navigator and if the others happen to he of seat himself. Tsen made an ex- the same sex, that is unfortunate, pression of distaste toward the but—under these circumstances gossipers. “You do not approve, — unavoidable, sir.” either, of what Chord and the Everett flinched. That was get- youngster have done?” ting it straight between the eyes. “It’s not a question of approval, “Who, if I might ask?” Tsen. It’s a question of survival. “Would it make you feel better, They feel, and Fanu feels, it’s the sir, or only more bitter?” Everett, only way.” He gave a short, bitter trapped in his own prejudice, laugh. “They’re right, of course.” could not look into the dark eyes. “But you do not approve.” “Will Doctor Fanu accept me for He took a long pull at his glass consideration? Are things — well and muttered “I was taught it was with Chord and Tip?” a sin. The sin.” “Fanu seems satisfied, and if he “It? Homosexuality?” Everett isn’t, no one will be.” Everett tilted winced, saw Tsen’s expression and up his glass, drained the dregs and tried to depersonahze himself. set it down hard. “Yes, I’m sure “But, Captain, wasn’t the very Fanu will consider you. You base of that sinfulness, the fact think alike, modern. You should that they could not reproduce?” get along very well.” He stared. He knew his jaw was dropping, but he stared, any- He hadn’t thought about the way. situation for weeks. Tsen was out “Do you think Doctor Fanu of the hospital, and there were would accept me as a second other things to consider. Supplies volunteer?” from the ship were running out. “You!” He looked around quick- Everett applied all his skill and ly and lowered his voice-.— “Tsen, I energy to working out substitute never suspected that methods, converting some machin- “That I am human, sir? We’ve ery, utilizing native products. The been here nearly two years, and we men continued to surprise him are not monks, not ascetics. If with jury riggings and inspired anyone here has been reared in minor inventions. The planet of- such a tradition of asceticism, it Is fered a mild efimate and two myself. Yet affection, physical growing seasons a year. Still, as need —they overwhelm some peo- their equipment disintegrated, ple. We are not all blessed with they were forced to resort to na- your control, sir. Some seek satis- tive beasts of burden, and to do faction from themselves. For some. more manual labor. — — aI

122 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

How long had Chord been do- here! “What the hell is this — let- ing the work of two men on the ting Chord do your assigned work?” community farm? He confronted "Sir, I didn’t — I can’t get up!” the giant late one afternoon as The voice was pathetic, and Ever- they straggled back to the mess ett had to force himself to remem- hall. ber that the kid was malingering.

"I can handle it, Cap’n. I grew "Has Garrett seen you yet?” I—” upon a farm.” “N— no, sir. I— "That’s not the point. Chord. Everett pulled at the blanket,

Where’s Tip?” but the boy pulled it around him- “At home.” There was no apol- self with savage strength, shouting ogy and no anger, mere honest “Leave me alone!” then suddenly confusion. burst into tears and fell back on

"Cliord, it’s not fair for you to the bed. Chord grabbed Everett’s

do bis work. 1 don’t care if you’re arm. "Damn it, leave him alone!” tlie strongest man here. He’s im- Fury trembled the big man’s voice. posing on you.” "Leave him alone— sir.” "No sir. No, he’s not. lie’s sick. Tip’s sobs from beneath the ” Doctor I'anu — Idanket were high, muffled, hys- Hut Mverett was already striding terical. Everett pulled his bruised purposefully toward the small hut arm loose from Chord’s great fin- shared by Chord and young Lati- gers, looking down at the form be- mer. The big man loped behind neath the blanket; a form strange- him, protesting, but the Captain ly, unbelievably distorted could think of nothing but the rot- “Oh, my God,” he said, and left ten laziness of the younger man, the hut almost running, heading who would let his lover do his for Fanu’s hillside laboratory. work, and idle here The hut was darkened, and for "But of course it worked, John. a moment he could not make out Didn’t you believe me?” the shapes of things. Chord’s Everett paced the floor, running words a muttered undercurrent in his hands tlirough his hair again the background. He stepped over and again. "My God, no, no, I — the high threshold, and looked didn’t. I thought it was some sort around, finally making out the of cruel, monstrous joke, a — form on the bed in the corner. ghastly nightmare I couldn’t wake "Latimer!” up from.” The boy raised himself part “Do you want to?” way, pulling a blanket close “Want to? Oh, Lord, Fanu, around him. A blanket? Lord, it haven’t you been listening? This is must be eighty-five or ninety in monstrous, it’s —unholy!” ” ”

ANOTHER RIB 123

“The word is without meaning trapped in? Why didn’t the ship to me, John. It is without meaning crash coming in?” to the men who wished this done.” “Ask your God, John.” He stopped pacing and sat He jerked around, stunned. down. “If you can do this, why “If you accept your deity’s om- can’t you — test tubes — anything nipotence, mustn’t you accept the but tliis!” fact that he has permitted this de- “It might be possible.” velopment?” “It might— then why in God’s “If that boy—dies —Fanu, if name this —blasphemy?” you’d seen him “John, the word does not exist The alien blinked, solemnly. for me. I could create a fertilized “Hysteria is perhaps natural,” he ovum in that matter, but gestation confirmed. “Even though he has would be tremendously difficult been prepared for this there is outside its natural element. It some amount of emotional shock would require every moment of remaining. You must remember, two or three men’s time for the en- there is a certain chemical imbal- tire gestation period. And even if ance. Tsen will have an easier we had so many men at our di- time.” posal — John sat down again. The “But—” nightmare was rising above his “Hear me out, John. Tip was a ears, drowning him in its terrify- poor choice for the — first. I would ing black waters. He didn’t hear not have consented. I warned the alien go out. them of the dangers, but Tip in- sisted. Chord had many reserva- The jokes had ceased. They tions, but the younger man won concerned too many men now. out. He Mull have difficulty. But The men who were concerned and even so, incubating a fetus in his still able did not look too kindly body is much safer and surer than on lewd comments about their any amount of laboratory work.” partners. Emotional patterns were “Safer for the fetus.” developing, friendships becoming “That’s true.” deeper, the new way of life more He lunged to his feet, confront- and more ingrained. Everett some- ing the alien, furious. “You’re times thought that he sounded like gambling with that boy’s life!” a reactionary preacher, mumbling “Yes, and he knows it. He said to himself. They were all against —he said that he wanted Chord’s him now. They knew how he felt, inheritance combined with his.” and they had stopped discussing it Everett turned away, hands to in his hearing. They made their his face. "Oh, God, what am I reports w'hen they must, and that —

124 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION — was all, a habit not yet broken. enough of your ” he stopped and He kept his log. Some day he gulped and said, quite meekly for would either run out of paper or him, “Look, sir, I’m scared. It learn to make a substitute. That it’s not time yet. Not for about six was something to consider. The weeks. And I’m —I’m scared, sir,” one grain they’d been able to grow he finished pitifully. — he’d have to consult the record The two men hurried to Chord’s tapes; how did you make rice pa- hut through the blowing rain, and per? Maybe among his study mate- Everett suppressed another burst of rials, Tsen had something that crazy hysteria. Those corny old would tell him — the hell with videocasts on a vanished world! Tsen! Why bother? He’d be dead, Rainstorms, the black of night, a they’d all be dead before they ran hurried summons—he found him- out of paper. Then what use would self dismissing irrelevant, ribald the log be to any of them? thoughts of a midnight delivery of

The rainy season between the a . . . child ... by two men. two growing seasons was well un- But when he stepped into the der way when someone beat on his hut the thoughts fled, beaten away door, one night. He mumbled ad- by the pain of the youth on the mission, not turning. bed. He was incredibly pale, "Sir!” sweating badly, trying desperately “What? Chord, what is it?” The to muffle his outcries and not suc- giant looked wild, his hair tousled, ceeding very well. His lips were his eyes wide. “What is it, man?” white and blood-specked where "It’s Tip, sir. He’s awful sick!” he’d chewed on them. Everett “Hasn’t he been, all along?” found himself concerned, in- “This is — no, sir, this is differ- volved; whatever the cause, he ent. He ... he hurts. He’s in could not ignore the agony in the awful pain.” young face. Tip gave the Captain Everett gasped and had to sup- one look, turned his face away and press a hysterical laugh. “Oh. shut his eyes. “Couldn’t you get Well, isn’t that just what you’ve Garrett,” he said weakly, and been waiting for? He ought to gasped. have thought of that before he “When did this start?” Everett took Fanu’s offer.” He wondered asked, running over his memory insanely if he ought to offer con- quickly for things that would help, gratulations. and for the first time wishing he’d The big man dug his thumbs listened more closely to Fanu’s ex- into Everett’s shoulders with pain- planations. ful force, his face hvid with anger “While ago.” Tip made a smoth- and fear. “Look, sir, I’ve had about ered sound. —

ANOTHER RIB 125

“How long ago?” he snapped, swered. “It isn’t time, is it? It trying to be sympathetic in spite of isn’t time? That’s what he was his worry. scared of. He was afraid to say

“Couple . . . couple hours.” anything. He said it’d go away The boy suddenly threw his head ... all those books and tapes he back, muffling a groan, trembling read ... he ... by God, if he violently. Everett glanced at his dies. I’ll kill you!” chronometer. The spasm lasted “I am not your God,” Fanu said nearly two minutes. He kept his quietly, sadly. “Life and death are eyes averted from the swollen not in my hands, but I will do all body, its distortion no longer con- that.” cealable by the blanket. Tip, “Fanu — ” Everett began, drag- breathing hoarsely, murmured— ging his eyes away from the ob- “How did our women ever ” then scenely swollen body. He hadn’t his eyes widened in surprise and seen any of the . . . experiments he slumped back on the bed, un- ... in clear light until now, conscious. and the sight stunned him, brought “Tip! Tip! Wake up, kid all this brutally home. Maybe he please,” Chord pleaded, bending had been a fool. Why had he, over the boy, shaking him gently, alone, been kept in the dark? He stroking the sweat-bathed fore- realized only now; there had been head. a conspiracy of sorts, to keep Tip, “That’s no help.” Everett felt and Tsen, and young Reading, frantic. Fanu would have to the ComCon man, out of his way. straighten this out. He had to. He “You’ve got to do something. couldn’t let the boy die, not after a Chord says it isn’t time.” — sacrifice — like this! “Seven and a half or better of “Can you carry him?” He helped your gestation counts. Better than Chord wrap the blanket around I hoped.”

the unconscious figure, that still “Fanu . . . the human male twisted silently, spasmodically was never designed for . . . this

beneath their hands. Chord picked . . .’’he found himself wanting to him up, and they hurried through giggle, more with fright than the rain, up toward the beacon amusement. Tip was regaining lights of the alien laboratory. consciousness, moaning slightly, grunting like an animal. Garrett “And he’d been conscious until was there, white-coated, his hand then?” Fanu questioned gently, reassuring over Tip’s, calm and moving around the moaning fig- matter of fact as he explored tlie ure. boy’s body briefly with a stetho- “Yes, all the time,” Chord an- scope. “Heartbeat fine so far. Dr. ” —

126 FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

Fanu. But we can’t monkey around He pushed past them into the too long.” other room. “Chord, carry him in there. I “Female?” must operate this time, I am “Female,” Fanu confirmed. “I afraid.” As Tip’s eyes focused on arranged things that way—with him, the alien’s voice — and it no all of them.” longer sounded toneless to Everett “But—” — said kindly “I’m sorry. Tip. You “Did you think this was perma- are too masculinely constructed. nent?” Remember, I warned you.” “Well — well, yes, I did.” The boy nodded wordlessly, Fanu made a sound of alien biting his lip. Then, as Chord amusement. “That’s what’s been picked him up, he gasped between troubling you. No, John. In fifteen his teeth “If it comes to a choice years your planet will have four or remember what you promised me. five nubile females, at least. The Doc—” climate will aid precocity. In two Everett sank down in a chair generations you w'ill be on firm

and buried his face in his hands, footing. Your race is intelligent, S

and consciousness was swamped hardy, ingenious, young— all the ! in black nightmare. The next things mine wasn’t. Tip’s case was J

thing he knew. Chord stumbled the most difficult. He’ll have to I out of the operating room door, wait two years before attempting | and Everett, feeling nightmarishly this again.” idiotic, watched him give a star- “Again?” Everett gaped.

tling performance of expectant “His own request. I had diffi- : fatherhood. culty making him agree evCn to that, or I should have taken meas- i

"Female,” Fanu announced, his ures to end it now. I .shall, next i tiny mouth curving in the nearest time. When the females are grown, approach to a smile he could man- his chore will be done.” | age. Chord caught at the alien’s “When the females are grown — ; clothing. W’hat happens to the — to the con- “Tip? Tip?" verted men then? The— attach- "He’s all right. Very weak, but ments, tire — the lovers, Eanu?” hne. You can go in and see him. Fanu blinked sadly. “1 don’t

Be very gentle, though.” know, John. I shall not be here. I

Chord’s face went limp all over. am old, John — old. But I’m sure ! “Oh, thank God,” he muttered, you’ll solve it.” 1 “thank God! Cap’n, that idiot kid Everett turned and walked over made the Doc promise to the — save to window, staring down at the t the kid if it came a choice twinkling lights from the huts, tlie J, — — :

ANOTHER RIB 127 rebirth of homo sapiens. Some- the strange stars of a strange world. where behind him he could hear “All right,” he said softly, "I was an infant wailing. The rain had wrong. Now, for Your sake, tell us stopped, and stars were coming out, what’s next?”

There Are No AAore Good Stories About Mars Because We Need No More Good Stories About Mars

Once, across the sands tides lapped, Fifties were the worst: And oysters slumbered fathoms Dust, lack of oxygen. deep. All the stuff of realism at first. Even were corals crimson-capped Foxholes, sweat inside your suit In mild Syrtis. The thirties writers and frost Will tell you — and of buccaneers. Outside. Then came the plagiarists How keen they were then on sword- Erecting their pre-fab plots. We fighters lost And their deaths and fears! All legends then, for verbose mists But those were good years. And wooden protagonists.

Then we had princesses Now? Again old ruins bleed Always hrave and sweet those Dust into darkling desert sands, maidens Unvisited. And we who read Wore long swords too and longer Of Mars legend still hold, cleansed dresses in the mind, And came to no harm (it being A place both actual and unreal. fiction). By many writers’ hands designed The forties writers, sharper of pen. Silence’s stamping ground, remote, Drained the oceans, changed the ideal. diction. Safe beyond Time’s clay heel. Built domes all round Argyre and then Made us little green men. — Brian W. Aldiss 4F

t MARKET PLACE I * ¥ dr¥ BOOKSMAGAZINES HYPNOTISM

Send 25i for a sample copy of the British Edi* Hypnotism— little known method—free informa- tion of The Magazine of FANTASY AND SCI- tion. Dr. Azalian, 612 N. Fulton Street, Fresno, ENCE FICTION. Mercury Press, P. O. Box 271, Calif. Rockville Centre, N.Y. Free Illustrated, Hypnotism Catalogue. Write: Powers, 8721 Sunset, Hollywood 69, California. ATTENTION Time-Travellers! FEGHOOT AN- THOLOGY, $1.25 postpaid. FEGHOOT SWEAT- LEARN WHILE ASLEEP, Hypnotize with your SHIRTS, $4.45 ditto! Paradox Press, P. O. Box recorder, phonograph. Astonishing details, Berkeley 3051, 5, Calif. sensational catalog free. Sleep-Learning Re- search Association, Box 24-FS, Olympia, AMAZING MONEY MAKING OPPORTUNITY! Set- Washington. ence Fiction books, magazines! Box 271, Pittman, Nevada. NEW CONCEPT of learning self-hypnosis! Now on tape or recordl Free Literature. McKinley- Smith Co. Dept. T16, Box 3038, San Bernardino, HAMMETT, Dashiel-A MAN NAMED THIN and Calif. seven other stories—Mercury Mystery # 233. Send 50^ to: Mercury Press, Box 271, Rockville Cen- tre, N.Y. HYPNOTIZE UNDETECTED! PATENTED new hand device makes you a Hypnotist first day or re- fund! Hypnotist's Handbook included! $2, Hyp- SCIENCE-FICTION book bargains. List free. nosis Foundation, Box 487, La Mesa 11, Cali- Werewolf Bookshop, Verona 15, Pa. fornia.

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INDEX TO VOLUME TWENTY-FOUR—JANUARY-JUNE 1963

Aandahl, Vance: The Riddle Hoshi, Shin’ichi: Bokko-chan . June Song Feb. 5 Hubbard, P. M.: The Golden The Weremartini June 95 Brick Jan. Aldiss, Brian: No More Good Jakes, John: Underfollow .... May Stories About Mars (verse) June 127 Kerr, Walter H.: Starlesque June Anderson, Karen: The Sky of Leahy, Jack Thomas: Newton Space (verse) Mar. 24 Said May Treaty in Tartessos Apr. 91 Leiber, Fritz: Myths My Great- Anderson, Poul; No Truce With Granddaughter Taught Me Jan. Kings (short novel) June 5 Game for Motel Room Mar. Asimov, Isaac: My Son, The Kindergarten Apr. Physicist! Apr. 98 Marti-Ibanez, Felix: Nina Sol May Science: He’s Not My Type! Jan. 37 Matheson, Richard: The Jazz The Lost Generation Feb. 72 Machine Feb.

Speak Gaelic Tis . You, Too, Can Mar. 72 The Season To Be Jelly . June The Rigid Vacuum Apr. 52 McKenna, Richard: Hunter,

Just Mooning Around .... May 100 . Come Home (novelet) Mar.

Failed! . The Light That . June 84 Mohler, Will: The Journey

Ballard, J. G.: Now Wakes the of Ten Thousand Miles . . Mar. Sea May 76 Nolan, William F.: Bradbury: Bradbury, Ray: Bright Phoenix May 23 Prose Poet May To The Chicago Abyss May 30 Index to Works of Ray Brad- Bradley, Marion Zimmer: An- bury May

other Rib June 111 Pederson, Con : Pushover Planet June Bretnor, R.: Mrs. Pigafclta PoiiL, Frederik: Punch Jan. Swims Well May 52 Reed, Kit: Tell Me Doctor Briarton, Grendel: Ferdinand Please Apr. - Fcghoot: LVIII-LXIII .... Jan. June Reynolds, Mack: Speakeasy . . Jan. Buck, Doris Pitkin: Sail Shall Seabury, Paul: The Histronaut Apr. the Lovers (verse) Apr. 40 Silverberg, Robert: The Na- No Trading Voyage (verse) May 111 ture of the Place Feb.

. Burger, Otis Kidwell: The Slesar, Henry: Way-Station . Jan. Pleiades Feb. 84 Stacy, Joseph C.: Do You Carr, Terry: The Old Man of Know Your Elements? ... Jan.

the Mountains Apr. 89 Tilley, Robert J.: Place of Davidson, Avram: Books Jan. - June Refuge Apr. deCamp, L. Sprague: Dragon Vance, Jack: Green Magic . . . June Hunt Jan. 16 Van Scyoc, Sydney: Zack With deFord, Miriam Allen: Voy- His Scar Mar. age of the “Deborah Pratt” Apr. 77 Wai.lsi'en, Robert: Punk’s Demmon, Calvin W.: Impor- Progress Feb.

tance of Being Important . . Mar. 28 Webb, Ron: Atomic Reaction . . May Edmondson, G. C.: The World Wellen, Edward; Seven Day’s Must Never Know Apr. 102 Wonder Mar. Findlay, D. K.: The Day After Wells, John Jay: Another Rib June Saturation Mar. 18 West, John Anthony: Gladys’s Fish, Robert L.: Not Counting Gregory Feb. Bridges Apr. 126 Westlake, Donald E.: The Friedberg, Gertrude: The Question Mar. Short and Happy Death of White, Don: Peggy and Peter George Frumkin Apr. 47 Go to the Moon Feb. Garrett, Randall: Zap! (verse) Jan. 15 Watch The BEM May Harris, Larry M.: The Ques- White, James; Fast Trip Apr. tion Mar. 25 Counter Security Feb. Harrison, Harry: Captain Zangwill, Israel; Satan Meka-

Honario Harpplayer, R.N. . Mar. 53 trig Feb.

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