JANUARY yen 35 C*nts 'FICTION

PlG4ijei a short novel by POUL ANDERSON

'7<4e QM JtaJ. QtUi. THEODORE STURGEON

ASIMOV BEAUMONT {Publisher's J^ote

riiis first issue of VENTURE Science Eiciiou {)(Fers, we tliink, a pix'lty fair example of the kind of strong stories of action and adventure that future issues will contain. And we believe there

is room in the field for such a magazine,

Science fiction offers to the stoiyteller a diversity of subject matter and an imaginative scoi^e not equalled in many other fields of literature. And the types of science fiction are rich and varied, ranging from comic strip simplicity up through H. G. Wclls-Huxley-Orwell inspiration and profundity. In the

magazine field, the range is almost as great. We are proud of the solidly established quality reputation of FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION, and we are now puldisliing VENTURE

S F in the belief that we can make it another fine s f magazine —with a substantially different approach.

There will be two prime requisites for VENTURE stories:

In the first place, each must be a well told story, with a be- ginning, middle and end; in the second place, each must be a strong story—a story with pace, power, and excitement. This does not mean that pace will be substituted for sense, card- board for characters, or improbability for excitement. It docs mean, we think, first-rate entertainment, and a worthy sister magazine for FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION.

Robert P. Mills, managing editor of FirSF from its first issue, will be the editor of VENTURE Science Fiction, and Anthony Boucher will serve as advisory editor. The over-all plan is to have a short novel, or two or three novelets, in each issue, to- gether with sliorter material—and short or long, to have the most powerful, exciting and generally entertaining material

we can find. We hope you enjoy it. —Joseph W. Ferman SC/EN^CB FICTION

It was a daydream come true— a brand new world, like Earth but more beautiful, and Davis Bertram the only man

among a million women. And holy Cosmos, he’d found It, and he granted outl

\\’orld of the Future A Man of the World LES COLE 70

A Woman of tlie World ROSE SHARON 75 The Dust of Death ISAAC ASIMOV 83 Hero at Work JOHN JAKES 94 Oh Fatlier of Mine CHARLES BEAUMONT 104 The Girl Had Guts THEODORE STURGEON 108 Venturings THE EDITOR 130

Cover Painting by Emsh ^Illustrating "Virgin Platiet"') Interior illustrations by Emsh and Giunta

Joseph W. Ferman, publisher Robert P. Mills, editor

Vtnfun Sdane* fiction Magatino, Vol. I, No. f, Whoh No, 1, Jan., I9S7. fubllthod bh monthly by fantacy Houto, tne., at 35( a copy. 13 iwt subccriptlon 54.00 in U.S.A. and poisotdoni. Canada and tho Pan Amorican Union; 55.00 fn all othor eountrlos. Publication Concord, N.H. £d;fona/ ancf Gonaro/ offieos, 527 Madison Av*., N§w York 22, N.Y. Application lor soeond class mail privilogos ponding at fha Pest Offico at Concord, N.H. undor tho act of March 3, 1879. Cepyriphr, 19S6, by Fantasy Houso, Inc. All rights rosorvod. Protoction soeurod undor tho Inlornatlonal Copyright Convontlon and tho Pan Amoriean Convontion. Priniod In U.S.A.

Anthony Bouehor, Advisory fdtfor John A. Wost, Assistanl Editor Conslanco 01 Rtanxo. Exocutlvo Editorial Socrolary Goargo 5af^ar, Art Diroetor Virgin Planet

by POUL ANDERSON

A planet of girls could be any young man’s dreamworld.

But a government of girls, a lusty fighting army of girls,

a swaggering roistering navy of girls . . .

it’s no place for a man, even when the girls

are as beautiful as Barbara

and Valeria

Corporal Maiden Barbara Whitley of Freetoon, heredi- tary huntress, wing leader of the crossbow cavalry, and nov- ice in the Mysteries, halted her orsper and peered tlirough a screen of brush. Breath sucked sharply between her teeth. From this edge of the forest, the Ridge mountains rolled away in a green blaze of grass to the wide floor of the Holy River valley. Tall while clouds walked in a windy sky. With midsummer approaching, both suns were a short novel

visible. Ay was a spark so bright it hurt the eyes, following the great golden fireball of Bee down to- ward tlie western horizon. Minos was waxing, huge and banded, in its eternal station a little south of the zenith. The moon Ariadne was a pale half-disc. The other moons had not yet risen, or were drowned by daylight, but the six hours of night to come would be bright. it was on the thing in the val- ley, five kilometers away, that Barbara focused her eyes. It stood upright, like a lean finless war-dart, and she estimat- ed its height as 40 meters. That was much smaller than the Ship of Father. But it was nearly the same shape, if the hints dropped —

6 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION

by initiates were truthful . . . tures of shining steel in attend- and it had been seen this morn- ance. ing, descending from tlie sky. Barbara was rather frightened A chill went along her nerves. at the idea of Monsters — she felt She was not especially pious; her heart thump bcneatli the iron none of the Whitleys were. But breastshields —but they were less this was Mystery. They had al- awesome than Men. If she merely ways said it, they sang it in the went back to town and reported, rituals and they told it to children she knew exactly how Claudia on rainy nights when the fires Udall would take charge — the leaped high on the barracks army would move according to hearths tactics which were, well, simply

Some day the Men will come rotten, like the time when it had to claim us. been led directly into a greendale If this was the Men. ambush. And a mere corporal Barbara’s hand strayed to the would be just nobody. horn slung at her waist. She could She checked her equipment call the others. Claudia, the Old with rapid, professional care; iron Udall, had sent out the whole helmet, reinforced leather cuirass army to look for the shining thing, and kilt, boots, ax, knife, lasso. and there must be others within She cocked her spring-wound re- earshot. peating crossbow and tucked it in The stillness of that big metal the crook of her left arm. Her beast was unnerving. It could well right hand picked up the reins, be a vessel of the Monsters. The and she clucked to the orsper. Monsters were half folk-tale, it It trotted downhill at the swift was said they lived on the stars like rocking pace of its breed, the the Men and had dealings with feathered head, beaked and crest- the Men, sometimes friendly and ed, erect. The wind blew in her sometimes otherwise. face, murmuring of the sea and A stray lock of rusty-red hair the Ship whence it came. The ob- blew from under Barbara’s morion ject grew nearer — still not a and tickled her nose. She sneezed. sound from it, not a stirring. It seemed to crystallize decision. Barbara grew quite convinced Surely there were Monsters in that there were Monsters aixiard. that tiling! The Men would arrive Men would have been out long much more portentously, landing ago. It was a less terrifying pros- first at the Ship of Fatlier and pect. Monsters had unknown then at the various towns. And pow'ers, but they were still mor- there would be haloes and other tal, limited creatures, but Men. . . prodigies about them, and crea- Barbara had never thought a —

Virgin Planet 7 great deal about the Men. Now hair cropped short, and a lean the songs and rituals came back face with too much nose and to her. “The Men are the males of chin, altogether too much bone the human race. VVe were coming and too little flesh. to Join them, but the Ship went Barbara knew what all the 500 astray because of our sins. The families looked like, and this Men are taller and stronger than wasn’t any of them. She remem- we, infinitely wiser and more vir- bered from the old stories that tuous, and they have hair on their Monsters had many shapes, but chins and no breasts . . some of them looked like de- She came up into the long sh^ formed humans. dow of the — boat? “Hoy, diere!” “Hoy-aaa!’’ she yelled. “W^hat she cried. No answer. A flock of are you doing here?” gray rangers went overhead, call- The Monster drew a small ing to each other, incredibly un- tube from a holster and pointed It concerned. at her. Dashing close, Barbara Barbara rode several times saw that its crimson tunic was around the thing. There was a cir- open at the neck, the chest was cular door in tlie hull, out of her flat and hairy and there was thick reach and smoothly closed, and hair on the arms there were blank ports. Not a face Then she hardly had lime to in any of them. Really, it was think. The Monster might or getting ridiculous! Fear vanished might not be peaceful, and she in a gust of temper. couldn't just shoot it down. But The startled screech of the ors- she knew better than to take un- per jerked her back to reality. necessary risks. There was someone running from Her knees guided the leaping the west. bird and her hands whirled up the She spurred her mount for- lariat. ward. The person was approach- The Monster stood tltere gap- ing the boat . . . must have been ing. looking around when she arrived. She heard words in a dis-

. . . Person? No! torted, alien accent: “Holy Cos- It was strangely dressed in mos, what’s going on here?" No some kind of tunic, the legs human had so deep a voice! sheathed in cloth, a small pack- Then the lasso snaked out, fell, sack on the shoulders. But the and drew taut. form of it was grotesque, inhuman. Corporal Maiden Barbara Broad shoulders — not unpleasing, Whitley galloped in triumph to- that, but tlie hips w'ere of an ugly ward Freetoon, dragging the Mon- narrowness. There was yellow ster behind her. 8 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION

II known Galaxy— must assemble data and file a complaint when I DEFINITIONS AND REFERENCES get the time). Having bought his own robotic cruiser, he came to "Delta Capitis Lupi: Double. Nerthus to start a career in stella- [Coordinates given, indicating its graphic survey by going to Delta Nerthus as about distance from Wolfs Head — alone! As far as I 200 light-years; Nerthus is a could gather, his preparations Service base planet, ca. 300 par- here consisted mostly of botde secs from Sol.] Primary of type hoisting, skirt chasing, and a little AO, mass 4 Sol, luminosity 81 amateur landscape painting. Sol. Companion Sol-type, average "I could not legally refuse him distance from primary 98 Astro- clearance, since he had the train- nomical Units. Unexplored due ing and a sufficient goodwill quo- to trepidation vortex in neighbor- tient to protect any natives he hood . . might encounter. I checked the — Pilot's Manual, Argus physiological data, hoping for an 293 Region (wiili excuse, but somatically he is first- much expansion of ab- breviations') rate; I presume he makes himself exercise regularly to attract "Trepidation Vortex: Travel- women, but tlie law does not ing region of warped space, pri- make this any of my business. mary effect being that of violently He is, in fact (or was), quite a shifting gravitational fields. Re- large, good-looking young man of sponsible for some planetary per- the vanishing Nordic type; his turbations. Spaceships on hyper- brain is excellent, if he only cared drive encountering a vortex are to use it; how can I extrapolate thrown far off course and usually disaster on the basis of mere .” cocksureness and flippancy? destroyed . . "I warned him of the vortex, — General Encyclopedic Dictionary and that tlie Service did not plan to visit Delta until it was safely ". . from the region, in al)out . Davis Bertram. Born in gone 30 Sigma Hominis Volantis system, years. He replied tliat it was where father had grown wealthy. probably safe as of now. I told COdd how anachronisms like pri- him that if he did not come hack, vate ostentation redevelop on the we could not hazard lives in a frontier, isn’t it?) Basic schooling rescue party. He could not con- on Earth; astronautical training ceive that he might not return. on Thunderhouse (the most no- What he wanted, of course, was toriously slack academy in the the glory. If Della turns out to Virgin Planet 9 have intelligent autochtliones or her toe. “Food,” she demanded. be an uninhabited, colonizable “And beer. And take care of the planet, he will go down in history bird.” with Carsten. Afterward, she undressed and “In the end, then, he left, and washed herself in the courtyard his At Venture is now somewhere trough. She regarded her face near the vortex. If he avoids that, complacently in the water. The and avoids hostile natives, wild Minoslight distorted colors, ruddy beasts, poison, disease — the mil- hair and long green eyes became lion traps a new planet lays for something else, but the freckled us — he will come back and have snub nose and the wide mouth all the adoring females he can and the small square chin were use. So much for Man’s Starward more pleasing than . . , oh, Yearning. Or am I merely envi- than that Dyckman build. Dyck- ous in this winter of my own mans were just sloppy. lifetime?” The dying hearthfire within —Diary of Yamagata the barrack showed long-limbed Tetsuo, Chief Co- of forms sprawled on straw ticks. ordination Service, Ar- She stowed her weapons gus 293 Region, Stel- and lamont, Nerthus armor, trying to be quiet. But Whitleys were light sleepers, and III her cousin Valeria woke up. “Oh, it’s you. Two left feet as Minos was full, drenching Free- always,” snarled Valeria, “and toon with cold amber light, and each one bigger than the other. the air had grown chilly. Barbara Where did you park your fat Whitley walked through silent rump all day?” streets, between darkened build- Barbara looked at the face ings, to the cavalry barracks. It which mirrored her own. They formed one side of a square were the only Whitleys in Free- around a courtyard, the stables toon, their mothers and four and arsenal completing the ring. aunts having perished in the Her boots thudded on the cobbles Greendale ambush 15 years ago, as she led her orsper to its stall. and they should have been as A stone lamp on a shelf showed close as relatives normally were. the snoring grooms— all Nichol- But it was a trigger-tempered sons, a stupid family used only breed, and when a new wing for menial work— stirring uneas- leader corporal was required, the ily on the straw as she tramped sacred dice had chosen Barbara. in. She nudged one of the stocky, Valeria could not forgive that. tangle-haired women awake with "I took my Uvo left feet and —

10 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION my fat rumt)— if you must de- town white with mist when she scribe yourself that way— into tlie came out. A pale rosy light lifted valley and captured a Monster in above the eastern Ridge, and a star ship,” said Barbara sweetly. Minos was waning. The moon “Goodnight.” She lay down on Theseus was a red sickle caught her pallet atid closed her eyes, in the sunrise. leaving her twin to specu- There were not many people late. . . . up. A patrol tramped past, all of Bee had not even risen when them husky Macklins, and the there was a clank of metal in the farmhands yawned out of their doorway and Ginny Latvala barracks on the way to a day’s shouted: “Gp, Corporal Maiden hoeing. The street climbed steeply Barbara Whitley! You’re wanted upward from the cavalry house, at the Big Hoiise.” and Barbara took it with a moun- “Do you h^ve to wake ever>’one taineer’s long slow stride. They else on that account?” snapped went by the weavery, she Valeria, but not very loud. The glimpsed looms and spinning entire company had been roused, whc*els within the door, but it and Captain )Cim was a martinet, didn’t register on her mind like all Trevors. low-caste work. The smithy, a Barbara got to her feet, feeling most respected shop, lay beyond, her heart knofk. Yesterday seemed also empty; the Holloways still unreal, like a wild dream. Ginny slept in their adjoining home. leaned on her spear, waiting. Passing a window of the ma- “The Old Udall is pretty mad at ternity hospital, Barbara heard a you, dear,” she confided. “We small wail. Must be Sarah Co- may have all $;orts of trouble com- hen’s kid, born a few days ago. ing because you roped that Mon- The sound broke through her ster.” The Latvalas were slim worry with an odd little tug at blonde girls, handy with a javelin her soul. In another year or so, and so made hereditary body- she would be an initiate, and guards in most towns. make the journey to the Ship. "I was never ordered not to And when she came back, no lasso a Monster,” said Barbara longer called Maiden, there w^ould huffily. be another redhaired Whitley be- She let the barracks buzz neath her heart. Babies w'erc a around her while she dressed for nuisance, she’d have to stay the occasion: a short white skirt, within the town till hers was an embroidered green cloak, san- weaned and — and— it was hard dals, and dagger. The air was still to wait. cold and tins fields below the The stockade bulked above her, Virgin Planet n great sharp stakes lashed together survivor fled into the wilderness and six Latvalas on guard at the with her followers and tried to gate. Inside, there was a broad start a new settlement. Day- cobbled yard with several build- dreams of heading into unknown ings: barracks, stables, sheds, the country for a fresh start drove Father chapel. All were in the the sulkiness from Barbara. If, normal Frectoon style, long log say, she rose high in the favor of houses with peaked sod roofs. Gertrude or Anne . . . The hall, in the middle, was “All right,” said Henrietta as much the same, but imnipnscly Bee rose. She led the way inside. bigger, its beam-ends carved into The main room of the Big birds of prey. House was long and gloomy. Henrietta Udall stood at its Sconced torches guttered above door. She was the oldest of Clau- the Old Udall’s seat. Servants dia’s three daughters: big and scurried around, serving breakfast blocky, with sagging breasts and to her and to the middle-aged harsh black hair, small pale eyes high-caste women on the bench under tufted brows, a lump for a below the throne. nose and a gash for a mouth. “Well!" said Claudia. “It took The finery of embroidered skirt you long enough." and featlier cloak was wasted on Barbara had learned the hard her, Barbara thought. None of the way never to blame an Udall for Udalls could ever be handsome. anytliing. “I’m sorry, ma’in," she But they could lead! muttered, saluting. “Halt! Your hair is a mess," The Old Udall leaned back said Henrietta. "Do those braids and let her chambermaid comb over.” the stiff gray hair. Elinor Dyck- Barbara bit her lip and began man had gotten that job; an uncoiling the bronze mane. It Udall usually took a Dyckman for was hacked off just below her a lover. shoulders. Spiteful blowhard, she Elinor was in her middle tliought. Vni barren if I do and twenties; her baby was dead and barren if I don't. Come the day, she hadn’t asked for another. dear Henrietta, you won't find Dyckmans had scant mother in- me on your side. stinct. She was medium tall, with The death of an Udall was al- a soft curving body and soft blu- ways the signal for turmoil. The- ish-black hair. Her small heart- oretically, the power went to her shaped face smiled sweetly on the oldest daughter. In practice, the chief, and she combed with long sisters were likely to fight it out slow strokes. between themselves; a defeated 'Tou’ll have to be punished for "

12 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION that,” said Claudia. “Suggestions, able as most families; that was Elinor, dear?” She laughed. one reason tliey were hereditary Elinor blinked incredible army officers. lashes over melting dark eyes and “Apparently you attacked the said: “Not too severe, ma’m. I’m Monster unprovoked,” said Clau- sure Babs means well. A little dia coldly. “Father knows what KP— revenge it may take.” Barbara’s hand fell to her dag- “It had drawn a weapon on ger. “I’m in the army, you milk- me, ma’m,” answered Barbara. livered trull!” she exploded. “If I hadn't lassoed it, maybe it !" “Dishwashing, by Father— would have destroyed all Free- “Watch your language,” said toon. As it is, we have the thing counsellor Marian Burke. a prisoner now, don’t we?” Elinor smiled and went on “It may have friends,” whis- combing. “It was only a joke, pered Elinor, her eyes very large. ma’m,” she murmured. “Hadn’t A shiver went through the hall. we better get down to business?” “Then we have a hostage,” The Old Udall gazed at Bar- snapped Barbara. bara. Trying to stare me down, The Old Udall nodded. “Yes are you? thought the girl sav- . . . there is that. I’ve had re- agely. She would not look away. lays of guards sent to its ship. “Enough,” said Claudia at None of them report any sign of Icngtli. "Yes, Elinor, you're right life. It, the Monster, must have as usual, we can’t stop to quarrel been alone.” now.” “How many other ships have She leaned ponderously for- landed, all over Atlantis^' won- ward. “I’ve heard reports from dered Henrietta. the scouts who met you,” she “That’s what we have to find went on. out,” said Claudia. “I'm sending Barbara remained silent, not a party to the Ship of Father to trusting her tongue. Captain ask the Doctors about this. VVe’U Janet Lundgard had emerged also have to send scouts to the from the woods with some troop- nearest other towns, find out if ers and taken charge: set a guard they've been visited too." on the ship, slung the uncon- Both missions would be dan- scious Monster on a spare orsper, gerous enough. Barbara thought and ridden to town with the rest with a tingling what her punish- of them for escort. She had re- ment would be. As a non-initiate, ported directly to the Big House she couldn’t go to the Ship, but — but what had she told? The she would be sent toward Green- Lundgards were not as predict- dale, Highbridge, or Blockhouse, —

Virgin Planet to spy. But that’s terrific! When of laminated leather with an iron do we start? bust bucket, a slim neck, a lot of The Udall smiled grimly. yellow hair braided under a hel- "And meanwhile, for weeks per- met, and a rather attractive sun- haps, we’ll have the Monster to tanned face. deal with . . . and our own peo- Cosmos! That girl on the night- ple. The whole town must al- mare bird, the lariat and ready be getting into a panic. "What’s going on?” croaked "We have to learn the trutli Davis. “Who are you?” about the Monster—yes, and all "Father!” stammered one of the the people had better know the girls. "It talks” facts. We’ll do it this way. The She spoke Basic— a slurred, carpenters will set up a cage for archaic form, but it was the Basic the Monster, right in the plaza, of all human-settled planets. She and while everylx)dy not on duty must be human, thought Davis watches, someone will go into groggily; no alien was that an- that cage and we’il see what hap- thropoid . pens.” A handsome wench, too, "Who’s going to volunteer for though a bit muscular for his that job?” grumbled Marian taste. He began to smile through Burke. bruised lips at all ten of tliem. Elinor smiled gently. "Why, "Gak!" he said. who but our brave Corporal Whit- The ten were identical. ley?” she answered. Well, not quite . . . some leaned on spears and some bore IV light, wicked-looking axes, and some had a beltful of needle- Davis Bertram woke when the nosed darts. door was opened and lay there He shuddered and grew aware for a minute, trying to remember that he had been stripped mother why his flesh ached in a hundred naked. Between the cuts and places. Then he got his eyes un- abrasions, he started to blush, glued. more or less aU over. He scram- There was a boot in front of bled to his feet. A jerk at the his nose. He rolled over, cau- wrists told him his hands were tiously, and sent a bleared gaze tied behind his back. He sat upward. Above the boot was a down again, lifting his knees and shapely knee, and above that a glaring across them. leaiher-strip kilt reinforced with "I imagine Monsters would iron bands; then a belt support- have learned the Men language, ing a knife and pouch, a cuirass Ginny,” said one of his visitors. 14 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION

On closer observation, Davis saw Ignoring botanical details, this that she was older and had a scar might almost have been Earth of on one cheek. Some kind of in- some elder age. But not when signe was painted on Jier breast- you looked at the sky. It was blue plate . . . sunblaze, it was tlie and clear, yes, with towering six-pointed star of an astrogator’s white clouds in the west; over- mate! head, though, w'ere two crescents, "It looka fairly harmless/' said dim by daylight: one almost twice one of the others doubtfully. the apparent size of Luna seen "You, Monster!” The officer from Earth, the other half again raised her battle ax. "Up!” She as big. And there was the em- was tense as a drawn wire. Davis peror planet, the world of w'hich rose. this was only another satellite. They marched him out of the When full, it would sprawl across shed. He saw a courtyard, rudely 14 times as much s% as Luna. paved with stones, a number of Now it W'as a narrow sickle, pale primitive wooden buildings, and amber. The morning sun was ap- a high palisade around all. There proaching it. That is, the smaller, was a catwalk beneath the stakes, Sol-type sun, Delta Capitis Lupi and warriors posted on it with B, about which the giant planet some kind of crossbow. moved. The primary sun, bluish-

Beyond the gate, Davis saw white A, had not yet risen; it quite a small army, alert for what- would never seem more than the ever he might try to pull. Some brightest of the stars. were on foot, some mounted on Davis shook an aching head birds like the one he’d seen be- and wrenched his attention back fore: larger and stouter than os- to the ground. Be sundered if this triches, with feathers of blue- was like Eartli, after all, even tipped wliite and cruel hawk with the women and children heads. He decided not to pull clustered around. Not just their anything. dress — the civilians wore a short A rutted unpaved street snaked skirt, the kids nothing. Their /ifee- downhill between big, clumsy «css. Women and children — all houses. Outside town it became female, the children —seemed to a road of sorts, wandering be cast from a few hundred through cultivated grainficlds. molds. Take two from the same They covered a sloping plateau, mold, like those gawping dairy- which dipped off into forest to- maid types over there, and the ward the river valley. Behind the only difference was age and castle, the mountains rose steep scars. and wooded. Cosmos, but he was thirsty! Virgin Planet 15

At the farther end of a broad cage, all of tlie same unprepos- open space were some thousands sessing genotype. The oldest wore of civilians, jammed together, a headdress of plumes. "Well, craning their necks, held back by Corpora!,” she snapped, "question a line of guards. Their high- it.” pitched, excited voices sawed on "Y-yes, ma'm,” said the girl his nerves. In the middle of the in a small voice. "I ... I am square was a large wooden cage. Corporal Maiden Barbara Whit- "In there,” said the blonde ley, Monster.” captain. She drew her knife and 'The same who captured you,” cut his bonds. said one of the bags. Davis shuffled through the cage "Be quiet, Henrietta,” said the door. "Is this a zoo?” he asked. oldest witch. With a certain fear- "Where are all the men, any- less pride: "I am Claudia, the way?” Udall of Freetoon.” "Don’t you know?” the captain "Honored, Citizen,” said the asked acidly. man. "My name is Davis Ber- "Very well, Babs, let’s see how tram.” you get out of this one!” "Why . . . that could almost be It was a new voice, pleasantly a human name,” said Barbara husky in spite of its jeering note. shyly. Davis looked through the bars and "What else should it be?” saw a redhaired girl among the asked Davis. cavalry. Holy Valdaoth, the same "Oh . . . oh, yes, the stories one w’ho’d roped him yesterday! do say you Monsters learned the Or was she? Her twin, also in arts from tlie Men.” She smiled, armor, came walking slowly forth tlie least little bit. across the square. Davis stepped "But I —Who said I was a warily back as the newcomer en- monster?” He was not, Davis told tered. The blonde officer latched himself, vain; but more than one the door behind them. w’oman had informed him she The girl touched her dagger. liked his face. He could have gone for her in "You are! Look at you!” better circumstances. Her green- "Blast it, I’m as human as you ish eyes widened, and she are!” breathed hard. It would have “With all that hair?” rapped been an interesting sight if it Henrietta Udall. hadn’t been for that iron bra. Davis gave her an unfriendly

'i'll light if I must,” she whis- glance. pered. "Look here," said Barbara rea-

hour women approached the sonably, "wc’rc not blind. I ad- ” —

16 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION

mit you have two legs and five “But the Men . . . the Men fingers and no feathers. But are powerful, and beautiful, ” you’re bigger than any of us, and and — haven’t got any more breasts than "Oh, Evil!” Davis took her fin- a ten-year-old.” gers and laid them against his "I should—hope not!” said Davis. cheek. “Feel that? I haven’t got “In fact ” Barbara scratched much— yet in the way of whiskers, her neck, puzzledly, and pointed. but

“Just what is that? Do you fight Barbara turned faintly toward with it?” the Udall. 'it’s true, nia’m,” she “It doesn’t look prehensile,” whispered. “There’s hair starting said tlie blonde captain. to grow out of his face.” Davis told himself wildly that “But you captured him!” pro- he had not gone insane, that he tested the blonde captain. really was here on the Earth-sized Davis took hold of his sanity third satellite of Delta Capitis with both hands. "Look, kenno,”

Lupi B I. But somehow' it seemed he began between clenched teeth. to slip through his fingers. “Let’s be reasonable about this. He put his face in his palms Just what the jumping blue blazes and shuddered. do you think a man is?” “Poor Monster.” Barbara trod “A Man is ... is ... a impulsively forward. human male.” He could barely He looked up. She paled a lit- hear the Barbara girl’s reply. tle with fright, under the smooth “All right. Now', have you ever brown skin, and made half a step seen a human male before?” back. Then her lips — unfairly at- "Certainly not.” Her courage tractive lips — stiffened, and she was returning. “You must indeed stayed where she was. be from far away, Monster, There "We had no way of know- are no Men on all Atlantis.” ing,” she said. “Some Monsters “Oh ... is that what you've are friendly with the Men and called this world? But how do ’’ some aren’t. We couldn’t take you manage —how long since chances.” “Humans came here some 300 "But I am a manl” shouted years ago. That is, by a year I Davis. mean the time Minos needs to A groan went through the go once around the sun Bee.” crowd. Somebody screamed. Minos . . . the big planet, of Barbara clenched her fists. course. Davis had measured from “Why did you say that?” she space that it was about one As- asked in a wobbly voice. tronomical Unit from B, which “Can’t you see, girl?’ had nearly the same mass as Sol. Virgin Planet 17

So one Minos year was approxi- “This is ridiculous,” barked the mately one EartJi year. Three cen- Old Udall. "It’s well understood turies —why, they were barely that the Men will come in all starting to colonize then! The hy- tlieir power and glory. This perdrive was newly invented wretch is a Monster, and the only and — question is what to do about it.” “But you have children,” he Another girl trod forth. Even said feebly. now, Davis felt his eyes bug out. “Oh, yes. By the grace of Fa- She was dark, throaty-voiced, tlicr, the Doctors at His Ship can with gold ban^es on slender — I don’t know any more. I’ve anus and red flowers in her long never been there.” J hair, high in the prow and walk- Davis took a while to swallow ing like a sine wave. “Please, that one. ma’m,” she said. “I have an idea.” Something came back to him. Claudia smiled at her. "Yes, In the few hours he’d been on Elinor?” Atlantis, before this Barbara "It says it is a Man.” Elinor wench caught him, he had seen waggled her eyelashes at Davis. plenty of animal life: reptiles, “Let it prove it.” fish, insects, flying and flightless "How?” demanded Davis. birds. Some of the earthbound “By fertilizing the corporal,” avians had been the size of buffalo. said Elinor with scientific de- But no mammals. In all those tachment. flocks and herds, not a mammal. "Whatr Excitement gripped him. “Wait Barbara stepped back, white- a minute!” he cried. “Are there faced. "No!” she gasped. any ... I mean, w'ell, does At- "Corporal Whitley,” said Clau- lantis harbor any warm-blooded dia earnestly, “we’ve had our little animals with hair that give live differences, but now the future of birth and suckle their young?” Freetoon may depend on you. You “Why, no,” said Barbara. "Ex- won’t fail your duty.” cept us humans, of course.” "Unless you’re afraid, darling," “Ahhh-hfl. Mammals never murmured Elinor. evolved here, then. And they’re Davis saw Barbara flush red. tlie only terrestroid form— where She knotted her fists. After a very tlie males are . . . hm ” Davis long minute, she looked squarely blushed. “Obviously male. No at him with an air of having but wonder you didn’t recognize — I one life to give for her country. ’’ mean, uh — "Yes,” she said defiantly. ‘Tou “What do you mean?” asked may fertilize me, Davis — if you Barbara innocently. can!” ”

18 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION

He looked at several thousand were reaching across seven years interested faces. of time to invade a body gone all How did you explain the ef- soft and unsure. Ever since those fect of social conditioning to a moments in the Monster’s cage tribe which had never heard of . . . Damn the Monster! Had the such matters? thing psyched her? "Not now,” he begged hoarsely. She headed northward into the

"Give me time . . . privacy, for woods and steeps of the Ridge,

Cosmos’ sake . . . can’t do any- spoored a stamper herd on the thing here— second day and caught up to it on The Old Udall lifted a skepti- the third and shot one of the cal brow. great grazing birds. She didn't “Oh, never mind,” said Davis. have it cut up before dark, and "Have it your way. I’m a mon- wasn’t sleepy even then. ster.” And she saw that tlie night was cool, a bright mystery where V dewed leaves sparkled gold be- neath Minos, a scent of young Barbara was not happy. blossoms, the High Gaunt rearing That sorry business in the its stern stone peak among the plaza had won her a good deal stars. An irrational happiness lift- of respect, but she didn’t enjoy ed in her, she gathered armfuls of baiting captives, even Monsters. sweetbird and fernish, crooned, In the four days since, a growing threw her arms about a slim white moodiness had driven her to get tree and rubbed a hot cheek permission to go out alone after against it and was near crying game. It was not quite safe, but when a night-triller began to sing. she felt somehow tliat a compan- There was a tingle all through her. ion would be more of a hazard. And this was not to be under- We Whitleys are a crotchety stood either. All at once she want- lot, she admitted. For once the ed very much the harsh sweaty reflection was less arrogant than comfort of the barracks. The trail gloomy. She had not, before, felt had arced, she could be in Free- it a loss to have no sweetheart, toon tonight if she rode hard. not even a dose friend, and to Sleep was no problem. Norm- be forever at odds with her only ally you slept about four hours out kinsw’oman in Freetoon. But sud- of the twelve between a sunset denly she wanted her mother back and a sunset, but huntresses could

. . . Or someone. She could- go for days on birdnaps. Barbara n’t understand the pull she felt, loaded her pack orspcr, mounted as if her thirteen-year-old self the other, and started at Bee-rise. ”

Virgin Planet 19

She ate in the saddle, not stop- “What do you think?” answered ping even for the holy time of Gail. “You people ought to know eclipse, when Bee went behind better than to send spies our way Minos and the stars came out. jvhen I’m on patrol duty.”

Ay and Ariadne gave light enough “Oh . . . you bushwhacked for those ten-plus minutes, and a them, then.” Barbara felt a chill. muttered prayer to Father met “Every one. Caught three of minimum requirements. them alive. One, Avis Damon, got Shortly afterward she struck the pretty much cut up in the fracas, Ironhill road. It was wider than and rather than bleed to death most— all towns, however hostile, she told us what she knew.” met at the mining settlement to It was bad news, very bad, trade. Jogging along in her own but Barbara’s first reaction was apprehension, she forgot all care. scorn. “1 always claimed those She rounded a bend and could Damons aren’t fit for combat." have been shot by the Greendalers Then, slowly: “So what do you before realizing they were there. think you learned?” A dozen of them, in full ar- "A star ship landed in your mor, riding toward Freetoon . . . country'." Gail said it with care. Barbara reined in, gasping, and “There was a Man aboard.” stared at the crossbows as they “A Monster,” corrected Barbara. swiveled around. “We made it admit that."

. The Greendale leader, a mid- “Mmm . . yes ... I thought dle-aged Macklin with a broken so myself. You couldn’t have cap- nose, laughed. “We won't harm tured a Man against his will.” you today, darling, if you behave A tliin, dark-haired Burke in- yourself,” she said. “Freetooner, terrupted softly: “Are you sure it aren’t you? Were on embassy." was against his—will? Maybe as a Barbara nodded distantly and test of faith, he joined them. She felt no hatred, That was the trouble with the but war was as normal a part of Burkes. They thought too much. life as the harvest festival. She Barbara’s hands felt clammy. had been in several raids and “We’ve sent to the Doctors, of skirmishes since gaining her course, to ask what we ought to growth, and her kin were dead do,” she said defensively. at Greendale hands. “And meanwhile you have the There was a Whitley sergeant Monster and its ship." Anger among them, about fifty years old. writhed across the Macklin ’s leath- ‘Tm Gail,” she introduced herself. er)’ face. “Do you tliink we’re go- “What’s your mission?" asked ing to stand by and let you make Barbara, rather snappishly. an ally of the Monster?” — ”

20 VENTURF. SCIENCE FICTION

‘%Vhat do you want?” replied her usefulness was over. SJie Barbara. turned her kill over to the servants "Were bringing an ultimatum,” and put the two orspers in the said Gail Whitley. “Your Udall has castle barn. Poor birds, they were damned well got to turn the so tired. Then she ought to go Monster over to a joint guard till tell her barracks mates, but we get word from the Doctors. If "Where’s the Monster being you don't — war.” kept?” she asked, before thinking, Barbara thought about it for a "In the shed under tlic north while. She ought to make a break wall, ma’m,” said the Nicholson

for it, try to reach Freetoon ahead groom, "Didn’t dare have him any-

of this gang . . . no, that would where else, they didn’t, though he earn her nothing more than a bolt ain’t done no harm yet but you in the back. There was plaguey can’t never tell.” well going to be a war, no Udall "Hel" said Barbara with a flash ” would cough up a prize like the of anger. “Why call it ‘he?’ Monster. Well, who says we can't "Well, he says he’s a male,— defend our mvn fields? Hell and ma’m, and, uh, well, he says thunder, we'll toss them out on Barbara walked off. No reason their fat cans and chase them all why the Monster shouldn’t be the way home. male. They were Man and wom- The battle would probably start an, the wise happy people of the tomorrow. It was about thirty stars, and doubtless Monsters too hours’ ride to Greendale, but tlie — But why should the thought of enemy soldiers must already have this Davis creature's malencss be left and be bivouacked somewhere so odd, half frightening and in the Ridge. therefore resented? So be it! Barbara felt a welcome She grew suddenly aware that tension, almost an eagerness. It she had rounded the Big House was a pleasant change from her and was in its multiple shadow' eldritch moods of the past days. looking tow'ard the Monster’s She chatted amiably with the oth- prison. ers for tlie rest of the trip. A door of wooden bars had

Bee and Ay were under the been erected for the shed. It . . .

horizon when they clattered by he . . . Davis stood against the patrols up to Freetoon, but the bars, flooded with cool Minos- Minos, Ariadne, Theseus, and tiny light and moonlight. He show’ed Aegeus gave plenty of light. The sharj) and clear in the radiance, embassy had dismounted in the and somehow the hollow cheeks courtyard and stamped into the and flat hairy breast and bulging Big House when Barbara realized muscles were no longer ugly. ” ” ” ”

Virgin Planet — 21 They had given him clothes, kilt, “But you said cloak, and sandals, his hair was "I had no choice then.” Davis combed and a yellow beard was leered, “But come in here and growing out on his face. I’ll prove it to you this time.” He was holding hands between “Oh, I can’t, Bertie,— I just can’tl the bars with a girl in a long You’re locked in and feather cloak. Their voices drifted “You can swipe the key, can’t to Barbara — Elinor Dyckman, of you? Here, give me another kiss.” all foul pests! It was too much. And a Whit- "Oh, I really must be going, ley was no sneaking spy like a, a,

Bertie. Those awful Greendalers i. a Dyckman. Barbara strode across

. . . didn’t you see them come the yard, jingling her spurs as in? Claudia will be just furiotis." noisily as possible. “What’s going “Stick around, beautiful,” The on here?” she yelled. Monster’s low chuckle was para- “Oh!” Elinor squealed. “Oh lyzing, Barbara could not have . . . Babs,— is it? Babs, dear, 1 moved after hearing it. “It’s worth was only all my woes, just to get you here “I know what you were only. alone at last.” Get out before I knock your teeth

“Really . . . Bertie, let go, down your throat!” you scare me.” Elinor tittered. Elinor wailed and fled. “Aw, now, macushla. I’m not Barbara turned furiously on going to eat you. Let me only feast Davis. “What were you plotting?” on your silken hair, your starry she snarled. eyes, your— ” Etc., etc. The Monster sighed, shrugged, "You say such things.” Elinor and gave her a rueful grin. "Noth- leaned closer against the bars. ing very evil,” he said. "You again, "Nobody says such things here.” eh?” “Ah, nobody is able to appre- Heat and cold chased each ciate you, my little one. To think other across Barbara’s face. I crossed tlie stars and found you. “You know,” went on Davis,

Come here . . . lend me that “this is the kind of thing I used ” adorable — mouth — to daydream about in my teens. “Bert! I . . . I . . . mmmmm A brand new world, like Earth The night blurred before Bar- but more beautiful, and I the only bara. She wondered why, gulped, man among a million women. realized it was tears, and cursed And holy Cosmos, I’ve found it, herself. and I want out!”

“I mustn't, Bertie, dear! Why, Barbara raised a fist. ‘"Yes, so ” you’re a — you can go home and call your “A man. And you’re a woman.” friends to come raiding.” —

22 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION

“Look," said Davis earnestly, “Your what?” “we want to help you — blast it all, “My weapon. I had it in a hip were not your kind of blood- holster, dropped it when you thirsty pirate. And I am a man, No? I suppose it must be lying as human as you. If you’d not out in the grass somewhere. You come along, Elinor Dyckman won’t find much in my pack. would have found that out . . . Medical kit, lighter, camera, a nine months aftei^vard, at most!" few such gadgets. I’ve offered to His smile grew altogether insolent. demonstrate them, but the old “Maybe you’d like to give me an- sow won’t let me." other chance? Honestly, you’re “What were you doing when one of the best-looking girls I've I . . . found you?” asked Bar- seen anwhere." bara. Really, she thought, he was-

“Hell spit me out if I do!" n’t a bad Monster at heart. Barbara turned her back. “Just looking around. I ana- "Don’t go away," begged Davis. lyzed basic surface conditions “It's lonesome as space here. All from space, then came down to let I’ve done is argue with that barrel- my robots check on the biochem- shaped queen of yours." istry, bacteriology, and ecology.

Barbara couldn't help laughing. That looked safe too, so I violated The epithet was too good. all doctrine and went for a stroll. “That’s better,” said Davis. I was just coming back to the “Shall we be friends?" boat when — Oh, Evil, I don’t im- "Why do you claim to be a agine you understand a word.” Man?" she countered hastily. Davis smiled gently. “Poor kid. “You’ve already admitted you Poor little Amazon." aren’t.” "I can take care of myself!" she “I had no choice then, blast flared. it! You and . . . the other girl “No doubt. But come over here.

. . . only ones who might give I WT)n't hurt you." me a chance to convince them. Barbara went to the door. He I tell Siz Claudia tliat I’m a be- held her hands and pressed his nevolent Monster and if they’ll let face against the bars. What right me at my boat — under guard, if had that hairy, jut-nosed, thin- they want — I’ll go home and lipped face to look beautiful? Her bring the Men. I mean it, too." temples hammered. “But she doesn’t dare,” said “I want to show you some- Barbara slowly. thing,” he said in a grave tone.

"Well, not so far. Can’t really “Maybe that way . . . one kiss, say I blame her. Say, have you Barbara.” found my blaster?" She couldn’t help it, she fell "

Virgin Planet 23

bonelessly weak and leaned to- “It wasn’t my idea . . . uh, ward him. ma’m. What do they want me for, The main door of the Big anyway?” House crashed open. Torchlight “The power, of course! Any spilled on the cobbles, Minos be- town which had you and your ship came suddenly wan. The Green- could conquer the rest in days. dale Macklin strode angrily forth, Now we’ll have those Greendale her women bristling about her. pests chased away by eclipse. The voice jerked Barbara to Then will you help us?” awareness, she sprang from- the Davis hesitated. Union law Monster and grabbed for the was unreasonably strict about crossbar slung at her shoulder. one’s relationship with primitives. “This means war!” You could fight in self-defense, but using atomic guns to help a VI local aggression meant a stiff sen- tence. — Civilians and movable proper- "Let me aboard my boat ” he ty were brought inside the stock- began. ade that night, and armed females “Of course,” beamed Claudia. streamed forth. But the hghting “Under guard.”

didn’t start till well after sunrise. “Hm, yeh, that’s what I was Davis could just hear the horns afraid of.” Davis had intended and shouts and clash of metal. only to light out for Nerthus and There was a good-sized battle on never come back. Let the Service the edge of the forest, he guessed. disentangle this Atlantean mess. He looked across a courtyard lit- He gulped and shook his head. tered with women, children, and "Sorry, 1 can’t use the boat— to assorted dry goods and wondered fight with. You see, uh, well what the desolation to do. “Bertie!” Elinor w'obbled to- Claudia Udall tramped over to ward him. Her white indoor face his jail, in full armor and toting was beaded with sweat. "Bertie, a battle ax. Elinor Dyckman un- darling, you’ve got to help us. It’s dulated in her wake, thinly clad death for me if the Greendalers and scared. Davis would rather take this place.” have looked at her but thought it "Hm?” more tactful to meet the queen’s "Don’t you understand? The eyes. Greendale Udall already has two “Well, Monster, now a war has Dyckman lovers. They won’t want

started on your account,” said a third . . . they’ll see to it . . . Claudia grimly. Ber-r-rtiel" Davis gave her a weak smile. Davis got the idea. A queen’s —

24 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION

favorite dropped the word to some Eclipse came. It happened unsentimental captain daily, at high noon in this longi- "Nonsense, child.” Claudia tude, when Atlantis, eternally glared jealously. “Monster, right facing her primary, got Minos be- now tlie Greendalers do hold tlie tween B and herself. An impres- area where your ship is. Can they sive sight: the planet, dimly lit get in?” by the remote companion sun, Davis laughed nervously. "Axes fourteen times as wide as Earth’s and crowbars against inert steel? moon, brimmed with fiery light I’d like to see tliem try!” refracted through the dense at-

Short of atomic tools, there was mosphere . . . dusk on the only one way to open that air- ground and night in the sky. lock. He had set it to respond to Davis looked hungrily at the stars. himself whistling a few bars of a Civilized, urbane, pleasant

certain ballad. And The Jolly stars! . . . Tinker was not a song which any An hour later, the battle had lady ouglit to know. ended and the Freetoon girls came “You won’t help us?” Claudia back to the castle. Davis noticed narrowed her eyes. that the warriors were divided into Davis began a long, thorough- about thirty genotj’pes. When ly mendacious speech about everyone in a single line of de- friends who would avenge any scent was genetically identical, a harm done to him. He was just caste system was a natural de- getting to the section on gunboats velopment. And, yes, he could see when Claudia snorted. w'hy the Atlanteans had reverted If we can’t have you. Monster, to die old custom of putting sur- I might decide not to let anybody names last. Family in the nonnal have you.” She swung on her heel sense couldn’t be very important and walked off. Elinor followed, here. For a moment the image of throwing imploring looks across his father drifted across Davis’ her shoulder. memory. He’d been rather a dis- Davis sat down on the straw appointment to the old man; it and groaned. As if he didn’t have occurred to him that he had spent troubles enough, that sex machine most of his life trying to ju.stify had to slither around in a thin himself in his father’s eyes. But skirt and few beads . . . just out his chromosomes had never in- of reach. tended him for a solid citizen. Then he found himself wonder- The armored lasses, foot and ing about Barbara Whitley. He orsper (horse bird?) troops, clam- hoped very much she wouldn’t be ored for lunch and beer. They had hurt. casualties and prisoners with —

-^ Virgin Planet 25 them. There weren't many dead The day dragged. Davis w’as or seriously wounded— couldn’t fed, otherwise ignored. Night be, with these clumsy weapons came, and he tried to sleep, but powered by female muscles — but the refugees made too much noise. some had been killed, by ax, knife, Toward morning he fell into a dart, bolt— doze, huddled under his feather “Barbara!" Davis whooped it quilts against the upland chill. A forth. racket of trumpets and hurrying The tall redhead looked his feet woke him. way and strolled over through the Another battle! He strained crowd. Her left hand was wrapped against the bars, into darkness. in a wet crimson bandage. “Bar- And wasn’t it getting closer? The bara! Cosmos, I’m glad to see sentries were shooting and you’re all right!” Elinor screamed her way across She gave him an unfriendly the courtyard. The multiple shad- grin. “Mistake, Monster. I’m her ows thrown by Minos and the cousin Valeria.” other moons rippled weirdly be- “Oh. Well, how is she?” fore her. “Bertie, you've got to "No damage. She’s helping help! They’re driving us back!” mount guard on your ship.” He reached out and patted her “Then you did win.” in a not very brotherly fashion. "For now. We beat them back "There, there.” When it made her into the woods, but they haven’t hysterics worse, he shouted. After quit.” Valeria gave him a hard a struggle, he got some facts. green stare. “Now I know you’re The Greendalers had returned a Monster. The Men would fight." with allies. Outnumbered three to “Why can’t you tribes compro- one, the Freetooners were being mise?” hammered back through their own “Who ever heard of an Udall streets. compromising?” laughed Valeria. Newburgh, Blockhouse, and “Then why do you obey them?” Highbridge banners flew beyond

‘Why? Why, they’re the . . . the walls. It was clear enou^ to the Vdalls!" Valeria was shocked. Davis. Having learned about the " "When I took arms, I swore — spaceship, and well aware she "Why did you swear? My peo- couldn’t take it alone, the Green- j>le have learned better than to dale Udall had sent off for help, allow absolute rulers. You've got days ago, probably. And the prize a whole world here. What is there looked great enough to unite even to fight about?” these factions for a while. “A gutless Monster would say “But now Claudia will have to that.” Valeria spat and left. make terms,” he blurted. . —

26 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION

"It’s too late!” sobbed Elinor. lies long enough for the gates to She moaned and ran toward the be closed. Big House. Only warriors were to Presently Barbara herself came be seen, the artisans and helots to him. She was a-shiver with had retreated into their sheds. weariness, and the eyes regarding Davis told himself to stop shak- him had dark rims beneath. There ing. was blood splashed on her breast- The fighting didn’t halt even plate and arms. for eclipse. At mid-afternoon the "How is it for you?” she asked gates opened and Freetoon’s army hoarsely. poured into the court. "I’m all right,” said Davis. Step by step, tJieir rearguard With more anxiety than a neutral followed. Davis saw Barbara at party ought to feel : "Are you the end of the line. She had a hurt?” round wooden shield on one arm "No. But I’m afraid this is tlie and s\vung a light long-shafted ax. end.”

A red lock fell from under the "What . . . what do you battered morion and plastered it- think will happen? To you, I self to a small, drawn face. mean?” A burly warrior pushed against "I’ll get away at the last if I her. Barbara caught the descend- can.” Her voice was numb. ing ax-blow on her shield. Her Davis told himself sternly that own weapon chopped for the this mess wasn't his fault. He had neck, missed, and bit at the leather seen from space that there were cuirass. It didn’t go through; low- small towns and agriculture on carbon steel got blunted almighty this continent, and had landed fast. The other woman grinned to bring the gift of Union civiliza- and began hailing blows. Barbara tion to all its natives. The last sprang back and threw her ax be- thing he wanted was tween the enemy’s legs. Down The first thing he wanted, he went the woman. Barbara's dag- thought in self-abasement, had ger jumped into her hand, she fell been the glory of finding a new on top of the other and made a inhabited planet. And the money deft slicing motion. prizes, and the lucrative survey Davis got to his pot barely in commissions, and the adoring time. women When he came back to the "Cosmos curse it,” he shouted, door, there was a lull in the bat- "I can’t help your stupidity!” tle. The Freetooners had been Barbara gave him a blind, pumping bolts and javelins from dazed look and wandered off. the cahvalk, discouraging the al- At B-set the battle resumed. Virgin Planet 27 Trumpets howled, and by Minos- Another orsper ran from the light he saw Claudia hurry toward stables, with a rider who led a the gate. spare mount. Valeria turned, Its wood groaned. The ladies lifted her ax. “Oh, you.” from Greendale must be using a “Same idea, 1 see," answered battering ram. Fire kindled out- Barbara. Of course, thought Dav- side. flame ran up and splashed is, genetic twins normally think the sky. Somehow a house had alike. He saw that Barbara strove been touched off. The top of the not to weep. It could be no fun stockade loomed black across the to w'atch your country conquered. blaze, like a row of teethe the “Put on your cloak. Monster," warriors on the catw'alk were sil- ordered Valeria between blows. houetted devils. Davis wondered "Pull the hood up. They won’t crazily which of them was Bar- bother with three people trying to bara, if Barbara was still alive. get away . . . unless they know The main gate shuddered and what you are!” a hinge pulled loose. The bolt gave way. Valeria Someone galloped toward him threw the door open. Davis stum- on a frantic orsper, leading two bled out, got a foot in a stirrup others. She jumped from the sad- and swung himself aboard. Val- dle. “Barbara!" he whispered. eria mounted another bird at his "Valeria again." The girl side, Barbara took the lead. They laughed with scant humor. “Stand jogged toward the broken gate, aside, I’m going to get you out.” where Claudia and a few guards Her ax thudded against tlie still smote forlornly at a ring of bolt. enemies. The orsper’s pace was — ’’ "But what—why not so smooth as a horse’s, and “We’re finished,” snapj^ed Val- Davis was painfully reminded eria. “For now, anyway. For al- that a mounted man does well to ways, unless you can help us. I’m wear tight pants. This silly kilt going to get you out. Monster. was no help. He stood up in the We'll escape if w'e can, and see stirrups, swearing. if you can remedy matters." Someone ran from— the Big "But I’m neutral!” gibbered House. “Help! Ohhh ” Davis Davis. glimpsed Elinor’s face, blind with Valeria grinned unpleasantly. terror. He leaned over, cauglit her “I have an ax and a knife, my wrist, and whirled her toward a dear, and nothing to lose. Are you spare orsper. still neutral?” “Get that pantywaist out of “No,” gulped Davis. "Not if you here!" yelled Valeria. feel that way about it.” Elinor scrambled up. Barbara 28 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION freed her ax and broke into a gal- brooded remotely overhead. Ay was lop. Willy-nilly, Davis followed. a searing spark to the east, dally A band of women stood before overtaking the closer sun. tliem. A bolt hummed maliciously “Bertie!” past his ear. Barbara’s orsper Davis lurched to his feet as Eli- kicked with a gruesomely clawed nor came from the forest, sleeking foot. Davis’ mount stumbled on back her long hair. She fell into something. Valeria leaned over his arms and kissed him. and swung at a shadowy form, “Bertie, you saved my life, oh, sparks showered. I’m so grateful ... do you Then they were out of the me- know, Bertie, I believe you’re a lee, on the street, into the fields Man!” and the forest beyond. 'Tou might come slice your Man some bread,” said Barbara VII acidly. "Why did you bring her, Davis? Of all the useless — And Davis woke up after eclipse. good women are dead back in For a moment he knew only one Freetoon!” pulsing ache, then memory of his Valeria strolled into sight, cross- all-night ride came back and he bow on her shoulder and a plump gasped. bird in one hand. “Hell,” she Barbara, crouched over a little drawled, "all we need to do is smokeless fire, preparing a meal leave the Dyckman beast here. Let from what supplies and equipment her make her own way back.” had been in the saddlebags, smiled “I’ll die!” screamed Elinor. at him. "How are you?” she asked. “There are jacklins in these "I’m not sure. Oof!” Davis woods! I’ll be killed! You can’t — crawled from his bedroll. His legs Bertie!” were so sore from standing as he "Keep out of this, Davis,” rode that he didn’t think he would snapped Valeria. ever walk again. He blew up. “I’ll be damned to Dousing his head in a nearby Evil if I will!” he roared. "I’ve spring helped, and he looked been pushed around long enough!” around. They had come a goodly In his present mood, he would ways from Freetoon, into a tall have welcomed an excuse to clip country of ancient woods and that coppertopped hellion on the steep hillsides. Northward the jaw, but Barbara intervened just land climbed higher still, with as Valeria pulled a knife. “Enough snow on the peaks. The day was out of all of you,” she said. “We clear and windy, sunlight spilled have to stick together. Davis, if across green slopes and Minos you insist, we’ll let this . . . Eli- ” :

Virgin Planet 29 nor come along till we reach some each other, as if suddenly bewil- town. Now sit down and eat!” dered. It was a moment before "Yes, ma’m,” said Davis meekly. Valeria said savagely

The food was strengthening, it "Well, the powers of your ship seemed to give him back his man- aren’t going to be used for Bess hood. Now that he was out of that Udall of Greendale! Not after she filthy jail, he ought to start exer- killed barracks mates of mine.” cising some choice. He would have Davis nodded, thinking his own given much for a cup of coffee and thoughts. If Bess got her hooks a cigarct, but neither being lavail- on him, the situation would re- able, he opened the council. turn to what it had been. He "What are your plans?” he asked. wouldn’t lift gravs for her without "I don’t know," said Valeria. a spear at liis back and strict or- Both Whitleys had calmed down ders to destroy some town which as fast as they'd flared up, though Union law said he must die rather Elinor remained tactfully incon- dian bombard. He might well be spicuous. “Last night I only tortured by w'ay of induc'ement. thouglil about getting away.” Therefore he must recapture his Davis tugged his beard. It boat, somehow, despite all the itched. “Just what will happen at guards the victorious allies would

Freetoon?” he asked. "No mas- mount over it . . . big joke! sacres, I hope.” Barbara looked at the northern “Oh, no,” said Barbara. "Therc- ranges. “We’ve scant hope of find- Ve been conquests before. As far ing help this side of Smoky Pass,” as the lower castes are concerned, she said. “But nobody’s crossed it’s only a change of bosses. And the mountains for, oh, genera- some of the soldiers will take a tions. They say there arc some fresh oatli to the new Udall — strange folk living over there. If Damons, Burkes, Hausers — ” She they'd help ... we could prom- snorted the names. “But families ise them— die loot from the en- like us, who don’t switch loyalties emy .so easilv, have to be killed. Though “Wait a minute!” Davis’ brain I imagine a lot of our sort got whirred. He was not forbidden by away into the woods. Outlaw law to use violence against primi- ” life — She shrugged, woefully. tives, if it would save himself or “All right,” said Da\ls. “But rectify an obviously bad turn of what do you want to do? Claudia affairs. But he doubted that a Co- and her daughters are most likely ordinator board would see eye to dead now. You haven’t got any eye with Barbara on what consti- chief to be loyal to.” tuted rectification. “Look, look The cousins stared at him and here,” he stammered. “Wasn’t ” —

30 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION

there a message already sent to and down through the valleys on

this, uh, holy Ship of yours?” the other side to the coast . . . "To the Doctors? Yes,"— said because the Holy River route, all Valeria. “They would decide this region, will be full of people "Ah, ha!" Whoever these mys- hunting you, Davis. Once we terious Doctors were, they knew reach tlie coast, we can maybe get enough science to operate a par- passage with the sea-dwellers, thenogenesis machine. He’d have back to the Ship at Holy River a better chance of convincing mouth.” them of the truth than anyone The prospect looked strenuous, else. And they could order his boat thought the man dismally. returned to him! At least it was summer. The "Let’s go to the Doctors,” he Atlantean seasons were due only said quickly. “They have the final to tlie eccentricity of Minos’ orbit, disposition of the case anyway, but he had gathered that here- and we’d be safe there." abouts tlie variation of weather "We can’t!" said Valeria, quite was considerable. A satellite al- aghast. “Barbara and 1 are only ways facing its primary: perma- Maidens. And you — the Ship is nent tidal bulge, terrific moun- sacred to Father!” tains on the inner hemisphere and

“But I’m a man,” argued Davis. mostly ocean on the outer . . . “Or a monster, if you insist. The oh, well. rules don’t apply to me.” He He remembered an item. “Do glanced at Elinor. "You’re an ini- you have a sewing— kit?” he asked. tiate, aren’t you?” She nodded “I’ll need a, uh ” he blushed eagerly. "All right. You can escort "special garment.” me through the taboo area." “I’ll make it for you,” said Bar- It took a good deal of wran- bara helpfully. "Just let me get tlie gling. Being roared down out of measurements.” bigger lungs was a salutary new Davis’ ears glowed cadmium experience for the Whitleys. Even- red. “No, thanks! You wouldn’t tually they agreed, reserving the understand.” right to find allies if the Doctors, Elinor, who had picked up a who seldom mixed in politics, little self-confidence, piped: “This would not order Freetoon liber- trip will take just weeks, won’t it? ated. The meaning of “liberation” But the Freetoon couriers will in such a context was vague to have reached the Ship pretty soon. Davis, but the poor lost kids The Doctors will send word back. needed sometliing to hope for. Why, we may meet one of their "We’ll have to continue north," legates!” said Valeria. “Over Smoky Pass "That's all right,” said Valeria. —

Virgin Planet il

"Just so vve don't fall into Green- told him coldly that he walked dale hands," She drew a finger too loud. Maybe that had been across her throat. the worst of tlie situation, the feel- “Must you?” said Elinor faintly. ing of uselessness. He had always Davis glanced up at Minos. before taken the lead while wom- The big planet 5000 Earth en watched and made admiring masses, was almost half full, its noises. amber face blurred by a crushing- However, as they rested atop ly thick hydrogen atmosphere, Smoky Pass, in a mordant wind cloudy bands of dull green and and whirl of dry snow, Elinor blue and brown, dark blots which shared his ragged cloak. were storms large enough to swal- The range dropped even more low Terra whole. He shivered^ It steeply on its north side than the was a long, lonesome way home; southern approach. Davis looked the SeiTice wouldn’t visit Delta of across a downward-rolling im- rivers, its own accord for decades, and mensity of green , veined by he didn’t think he could survive here and there the flash of a lake, that long. Why, missing his anti- and wished for his paints. geriatric treatments would alone "I don’t sec any signs of man cut his life down to a lousy cen- . . . uh, woman . . . down tury! In short, me hoy, you’ve got there," he said, “but there must 710 choice. You’re jolly well on the be some. Haven’t you any idea Whitley team. what the people are like? Seems He looked at the cousins and y'ou’d all meet at the Ship.” then at Elinor; she smiled back "Oh. no,” replied Elinor. “You at him. It could be a lot worse, see, Bertie, eacli town sends its he reflected. One man alone with own parties to l>e fertilized. It’s three beautiful girls — if he could- seldom that two groups are at the n’t make a good thing out of that, Ship at the same time, and even he didn’t deserve to . . . if Aey are, they don't talk to Oh, I mustn’t say more. But it’s Some days later, Davis Bertram ihrillingr She clasped her hands. .shivered on the heights of the "And safe. Nobody would dare at- Ridge with Elinor. tack a party going to or from the It had been a cruel trek, Ship. If anyone did, why, the througli the forests and then up Doctors would refuse to fertilize over the glaciers to this pass. Davis tliat whole town forever after." wanted to help witli the twins' Which would be one form pot-hunting, at least — he soon of excommunication that really mastered the spring-powered re- worked, thought Davis. He gave locating crossbow — but Valeria Elinor a sidelong glance. Her nose ” ”

32 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION was frostbitten and peeling, she night. This did not improve Va- had lost weight, but she was still leria’s temper. an interesting lesson in solid ge- In the morning, both Whitleys ometry. And he wanted a lot more went out afoot after game. Davis information from her, whether it and Elinor were to watch the was taboo to non-initiates or not. camp and try for fish: there were He was going to enjoy persuading hooks and lines in the saddlebags. her. It was a cool, sun-drenched day Meanwhile, though, they had and a flock of birds with partic-

to get down where it was warm. ularly good voices were tuning up Later he remembered the next nearby. Davis’ grin spread. two days only as a nightmare of “What are you so happy struggle. He could hardly believe about?” Elinor looked grumpily it when they reached timberline up from scouring the utensils. and the nearly vertical descent be- "At having you all to myself,” gan to flatten. admitted Davis candidly. He This was a conifer forest, trees knew her type. “Let’s take a stroll.” not unlike jack pines though the “Bertie! No!” Elinor pouted. smell was different, sweeter and “I'm so tired.” headier. The ground was thick "As you wish.” He sauntered with brown needles, the orsper off. In a moment she pattered af- footfalls a muted pad-pad. They ter him. He took her hand, squeez- saw only small birds, darting red ing it rather more than necessary. and gold between bluish-green “Bertie! Bertie, be careful, branches, but there was spoor of you’re so strong — big game. Davis wandered along tlie lake- Even Davis could see how worn shore, eyes alert for a secluded the orspers were. No choice, they spot. He was in no hurry: all day had to rest. before him, and he was going to At tlie end of the day, they enjoy the fishing too. reached a king-sized lake. It “You’re a brave little girl, Eli- blinked amiably in the low sun- nor,” he —said. “Coming all this shine, reeds rustled on the banks way and ” he paused, took a and fish leaped in the water. “We deep breath, and prepared the Big couldn’t find a better campsite,” Lie — “never a complaint from said Barbara. you.” “Skeeterbugs,” said Valeria. “I could complain,” she said “Not this early in the year.” bitterly. "Those awful Whitleys. “Yeh? See here,— rockhead. I’ve Skin and bones and nasty red hair seen them when and tongues like files. They’re just There were no skeeterbugs that jealous.” Virgin Planet 33

It might have been profitable tion more art than science. You to agree, but for some reason Dav- couldn’t trust an apparently is couldn’t backbite Barbara. "I Earthlike planet; chances were its hope tlie worst is over,” he said, biochemistr)' would be lethal to ‘'You ought to tell me what to ex- man. It was rare good luck to pect when we reach the Ship." find a world like Atlantis. There-

"I can’t, Bertie. I mustn't. No- fore doctrine enjoined caution. body who’s been there is allowed First the planet was thoroughly to talk about it to anyone who surveyed. Then an all-male party hasn’t.” landed, spent two or three years "But I’m a Man," he argued. building, analyzing, testing in de- "You do believe that, don’t you?" tail. Finally the women came.

. . . Somewhere in the Service ar- “Yes . . . you must be even if your whiskers tickle.’* chives of three centuries back lay Davis stroked his short yellow a record of a female transport beard patriarchally. "Well, then," with a female crew; you didn’t he said, "since the Doctors are mix the sexes on such a journey only filling in for men ... I unless you wanted trouble. Judg- mean . . . Sunblaze!" He backed ing from names, its complement up and started over. "What are had been purely North American. they like, the— Doctors?” The ship was bound for a new ‘'I can’t ” Davis stopped for colony, but vanished. A trepida- some agreeable physical persua- tion vortex, of course, perhaps tlie sion. "I mustn’t —Mmmmm! Ber- same one he had managed to tiel” After a while: "I really can’t avoid. That was back before any- say. They have this big beautiful body knew of such a thing. town, with the Ship in the very The Ship had not been de- middle. But I never saw a Doc- stroyed. It had been tossed at an tor’s face. They’re always veiled. unthinkable pseudovelocity across Bertie, please! I mustn't tell you hundreds of light-years. The hy- anything]’’ perdrive must have been ruined, "I can guess. The, uh, fertiliz- since it didn’t return home. It ing rite — it involves a machine, must have emerged quite near doesn’t it? A lot of tubes and wires Delta Capitis Lupi, or it would and things?’’ have drifted endlessly at sublight "If you know that much,” said speed till the women died. Elinor, "yes.” Pure good fortune that Atlantis Davis nodded absently. The was habitable. But probably the picture was taking shape. ship had been wrecked in land- Three hundred years ago, the ing, because it seemed never to hyperdrive was new and coloniza- have lifted gravs again. And there ^4 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION they were, cut off, no way to call Flowers blossomed fiery underfoot for help and no way to get back. and small waves chuckled against They had little machinery, no the shore. weajions, scant technical knowl- It was, in short, an ideal spot edge. They did their best — dis- for a seduction. covered what the edible grains and Davis planted his fishing pole domesticable fowl were, located in a forked twig, laid aside liis mines and established crude smelt- weapons, sat down, and extended ers, named the planets and moons an invitational arm. Elinor sighed in classical tradition — but that and snuggled up to him. was all, and tlieir knowledge "Just think,” she whispered. slipped from them in a few illiter- "The first Man in three hundred ate lifetimes. years!” But in tlie first generation there "High time, isn't it?” said Dav- must have been a biochemist. The is thickly.

thought of aging and dying, one “Ah ...... your kilt by one, with nobody to help the what’s the matter?” last feeble sunivors, was unwel- "Never mind." Davis gathered come. Human parthenogenesis her in. Their necking became fu- was an ancient technique, though rious. He fumbled at her belt little used. The biochemist had buckle. She closed her eyes, taken what equipment was in the breathing hard. His other hand ship to make such a machine. slid up her thigh. The right chemicals under the Something roared behind him. right conditions would cause a sin- Davis leaped a meter in the air gle ovum to divide. Once that from a prone position. Elinor process w'as initiated, it followed screamed. the normal course, and in nine The thing looked like a saw- months a child was born, genet- beaked, penguin-feathered seal, ically identical with the mother. but bigger. It had swallowed his "Three hundred years of virgin hook and was quite indignant. birth!” mumbled Davis. "An ap- The flippers shot it up on the palling situation. It will have to shore and over the grass at express be remedied.” speed. "What are you talking about?” Elinor tried to get to her feet. asked Elinor. The fluke-like legs batted out. She “You’ll find out,” he grinned. went rolling and lay still. Davis They had come to a little bay, clawed for his ax. He chopped with soft grass down to the water’s wildly, saw blood run, but the edge, rustling shade trees, the damned soft iron wouldn’t bite on mountains looming titanic above. that thick skull. Virgin Plflnei 35

The seal-bird knocked him down and snapped at his face. Jaws closed on the ax haft and crunched it across. Davis got a hand on the upper and lower mandibles, threw a leg over the long sleek back and heaved. The brute roared and writhed. He felt his strength pour out of him, the teeth were closing on his fingers. ^ crosslx)w bolt hummed and buried itself in the wet flank. An- other and another. Barbara ran over the grass, shooting as she went. The monster turned its head and Davis yanked his hands free. "Get away!" yelled Barbara. Her bow was empty now. She crouched, drawing her knife, and plunged toward the creature. It reared up. She jammed her left arm under its beak, forced the head back, and slashed. The seal-bird fell on her. Davis glimpsed a slim leg beneath its belly. He picked up his own bow and fired pointblank, again and again, hardly aware of what he did. Blood gurgled in the mon- ster’s voice.

Then it slumped, and tlic ar- terial spurting was only a red flow across slippery— grass. "Barbara ” Davis tugged at the weight, feeble and futile. His own throat rattled. The leg stirred. Barbara forced her way out from under. She stooti up, gasping, adrip with blood, and stared at him. His knees gave way. " ” —

36 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION

"Are you all right?” she whis- ished: "We’ll start out again to- pered. "Bert, darling, are you all morrow.” right?” "Oh, yes!” babbled — Elinor. “Yeh.” His palpis were lacer- "Those things in the lake ated, but it was nothing serious. “What about the orspers?” de- "You?” manded Barbara. “Oh, th-th-this isn’t my blood.” "Ride 'em till they drop, child, She laughed shortly, sank to her and continue on foot,” said Va- knees before him, and burst into leria. “It'll be quicker." tears. “Don’t call me child!” exploded "There, there.” He patted the Barbara. "I'm only three days bronze head, clumsy and unsure younger tlian you, and my brain of himself. "It’s all over, Barbara, is twenty years older!” it’s finished now . . . Sunblazc,— "Girls, girls,” began Davis. Va- we’ve got meat for the pot leria’s scarred left hand dropped She shook herself, wiped her to her dagger, and he shut up and eyes, and gave him an angry stare. let tlie twins argue. "You fooU" she snuffled. "If I Barbara gave in at last, against hadn’t h-h-happened to be near her better judgment . . . after

. . . heard die noise . . . oh, all, if they camped longer, Davis you blind gruntbrain!” and Elinor were sure to — Only "Guess I’ve got that coming,” why should she care? WTiat was a said Davis. Monster to her? Elinor stirred, looked around, She regarded him with concern. and started to cry. Since she was- He had seemed such a big coward, n’t much hurt, she got no atten- she refiected; and yet he had tion. "Well!” she muttered. fought the lake bird to save Eli-

Barbara swallowed her rage. "I nor’s life . . . Damn Elinor! If never saw a thing like this before," Davis had died on her account she admitted. "I suppose you Maybe, she thought, bis unwilling- couldn't have known, Bert. You ness to fight was only a different were giving it a hell of a good way of thinking. A Man wouldn’t fight. And it is meat.” think like a woman.

"Thanks,” he said weakly. . . . But it was heresy to admit this creature barely two meters tall, VIII who could sweat and bleed and be afraid, w'as a Man! When Valeria had blown off And yet, when you got used to enough pressure by a magnificent him, he was a beautiful creature, description of Davis’ altogether beard like spun gold and blue eyes negligible intelligence, she fin- that crinkled when he laughed — —

Virgin Vianet 37

... his hand brushed her knee, knife and the remote lance of the accidentally, and for a moment it High Gaunt wreathed with cloud seemed to burn and she got ail •r-for her, after knowing Davis, weak and the world wobbled. it would be too narrow and lone- What was wrong with her? She some. She could never really go wanted to laugh and cry at the home. same time. Vague dreams chased She wanted to blurt her woe through her head, she performed to him. It w'as not the Whitley heroic deeds before his eyes, now way, but there would be a strange they were togetiter under a full edmfort, like having her mother

Minos back . . . only he wculd not "Damn!” said Barbara. hold her like her mother "What’s the matter?” asked For lack of anyone else, she Davis. confided in Valeria. They w'ere sit- "Oh, nothing.” His gaze made ting up by the campfire while the her want to squirm. "Leave me others slept. alone, will you? — No, I didn’t "It would be better if the Men mean that!” came," agreed her cousin. "We've All the next day, as they rode never lived as Father meant us to. deeper into the valley, she We’ve just hung on, hoping, for churned over a new thought. Just three hundred years.” suppose Davis was really a Man. Barbara felt a smile tug her

What then? Yes . . . voice the mouth. "It would be fun to have a thought, wait for Father's thun- Man-child,” she murmured. "A derbolt . . . when none came, kid like his father— like both of Barbara’s universe quivered and us mixed together ” Suddenly: lost a few bricks. "Val! I’ve been thinking ... I

He was at least a very dear almost believe Bert is a Man!” Monster, with his songs and "Rotten specimen of one, then,” laughter, and he came from the snapped Valeria. stars. The stars! Man or no, he Barbara felt puzzled. Her t\vin could bring the Men, and Atlantis was an obstinate nuisance, yes, would never be the same again. but so was she. They had never Even if no Men ever came, she thought so unlike before now. thought with sudden tears, her own Atlantis was dead. Let her On the following day, the de- return in triumph, driving out the scent became so steep that they enemy from Freetoon, return to had to lead the orspers. Toward the comradeship of the barracks evening they found themselves on and the unforgotten forest, Holy the stony floor of a large canyon. River below her like a dawn The river flowing througli it was —

38 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION broad as a lake, brown and swift, who, and what can we talk them toppling in a kilometer-high wa- out of? Go to it, Davis." terfall over a cliff behind them. He advanced to the foot of the The air was subtropically warm, bridge, cupped hands around his this was a much lower country mouth, and bawled: “Hello, up than Freetoon’s. there! We come in peace!” Echoes “These birds are about finished clamored from the canyon wall. if they don’t get a long rest,” ven- There was a waiting. tured Elinor. She sighed. “So am Then a slender girl clad in long I.” brown hair and a few flowers “Maybe we can find someone stepped from beneath the trees to arotmd here who’ll trade us,” sug- the bridgehead. She carried an ar- gested Davis. “Look, whether you balest, but didn't aim it. “WTio believe I’m a Man or not, I can are you?” she called timidly. sure as Evil act the part, overawe “She’s a Craig," muttered Bar- them, demand their help.” bara to Davis. “At home they’re “It’s blasphemy!” said Valeria. all poets and weavers. Now why Barbara looked down at her would a Craig be on sentry-go?” own tanned form, saw no signs of Davis drew himself up. “Know shriveling, and grew skeptical of that 1 am a Man, come from Father with a speed that aston- Earth to redeem the old promise,” ished her. “Are you afraid to try, he intoned. Barbara smothered a Val?” she purred. gig^e. “All right, then!” snarled the “Oh!” The Craig dropped her other Whitley. “If this oaf can act bow and broke into a tremble. “A like a Man, all right.” Man Okhkht” They were up before Bee-rise “I come as the vanguard of all the next day, trudging down- the Men, that they may return to stream along the barren riverbank. their loyal women and drive evil The first dawn-glow showed the from Atlantis," boomed Davis. end of their search. "Let me cross your bridge that I An island, some ten kilometers may, uh, claim your help in my, across, lifted sheer cliffs from the er, crusade. Yes, tliat's it, cru- water to a luxuriance of trees on sade.” its crown. There was no access The Craig squeaked and fell on but a suspension bridge from the her face. Davis led his tatter-de- shore to the heights. Barbara's malion party over the bridge. The crossbow clanked into position. timing was perfect: Bee just ris- “So we've found somebody,” she ing in a golden blaze over the murmured. great waterfall above them. On "The question,” said Valeria, "is the other side of the bridge, there ” — —

Virgin Planet i9 was a downward path. The island dentally, ‘sir’ would be more suit- was cup^haped, holding trees in able than 'ma’m’. And don’t . . . orderly groves, clipped grass, bril- 1 mean, be not afraid. Rejoice!” liant flowerbeds. Another puzzling alienness A few more w’omen emerged tjie islanders needed no more than from the foliage. I'liey were as the Man’s consent to start rejoic- sleek, sun-tanned, and informally ing! Like children! When they clad as the first one. And their had walked through two kilome- reactions were just as satisfactory, ters of parkscape, the whole popu- a spectrum from abasement to lation swarmed out to meet them, j awed gaping. laughing, singing, dancing, strik- “More Craigs, couple of Sal- ing up music for them. Altogether mons. a Holloway, an O’Brien,” they numbered about a thousand, murmured Valeria. “Artist, arti- including children, and all bore san, entertainer classes at home plain signs of good, easy living. where are the w'arriors?” Their village w'as surprisingly A Hollow'ay cleared her tliroat large. Barbara decided dazedly shyly and blushed. “We never that they didn’t have barracks at thought there would be such an all. Each of these simple grass honor for us,” she said. “We huts was for no more than one thought when —the Men came, woman and her children. The they’d — I mean concept of privacy was so new’ it Davis puffed himself up. “Do felt like a hammerblow. you doubt I am a Man?” he She was led to a hut, and gog- roared. gle-eyed girls brought her eggs, “Oh, no, ma'm!" The Holloway fruits, small sweet cakes, and sang cringed back from possible thun- to her while she ate. Only slowly derlwlts. Her voice, like that of all did her mind stumble from the the islanders, had a melodiousness wreckage of its own axioms which betokened long training. and wonder what Davis was up

"Where’s your Udall?” asked to. . . . Valeria impatiently. “Udall, ma’m?” The Craig they As a matter of fact, Davis, the had first seen looked confused. past weeks catching up with him, “No Udalls here. Just us, ma’m.” had gone to sleep. He woke near No VdalU Barbara’s mind stag- sunset, donned the embroidered gered. But. but it wasn’t possible! kilt, plumed headdress, and gold “We’ll take you to Prezden ornaments laid out for him, and Yvonne Craig, ma’m," offered the strolled from the shack to find a Hollow'ay. banquet in preparation. “Do so.” Davis beamed. “Inci- Valeria stood waiting for him I

40 VEXTURE SCIENCE FICTION in the long mellow B-light. She and given a stronger chin would had loosened her red hair and dis- have been quite pretty — tliough carded armor for a kilt and lei, Barbara, in kilt and lei, was un- but the scarred left iiand rested fair competition. "Be welcome on her dagger. They started to- among us, Man." Now that the gether across the green toward a first shock had worn off, she spoke dais draped witli feather cloaks, with confidence. "Atlantis has where Barbara stood talking to a never known a happier day. Oh, Craig who held a carved staff. we’re so thrilledl” "VVe seem to have found the Davis looked around. '‘Where’s kind of place we deserve," he said. Elinor?” Valeria snorted. “Oh, yes, they- "Still pounding her ear." 're friendly enough —but gutless. clipped Barbara. “Want to w'ait?” This island is too easy to defend. "Cosmos, nol When do we — They fish, raise fowl, have fruits mean, let the banquet begin.” the year round, all the metal they Rank, as the women of Lysum need . . . spend their time— on settled themselves on the grass, arts, poetry, craft, music ” She seemed strictly according to age. ended her list with a vulgarity. It was pleasant to be in a castelcss Glancing at delicately sculp- society again. The food was deli- tured wood, subtly designed dec- cious, and there was course after oration, intricate figure dancing, course of it, and the wooden wine- listening to choral music which bowls were kept filled. was genuinely excellent, Davis got Suppressing a burp, Davis fed up with Valeria. Narrow- leaned toward Yvonne. “1 am minded witch 1 Her own rather pleased witli what I have seen repulsive virtues, hardihood and here," he told her. fearlessness, would be as redun- "You are so sweet . . . er, gra- dant here as fangs on a turtle. cious,” she trilled happily. “What’s the place called?" he "But elsewhere there is devil- asked coldly. ment on the loose. I am only the "Lysum. There was a conquered vanguard of the Men. Before all town about a hundred years ago of them can come, the wrongdoers that a lot of its people ran away of Atlantis must be punished." from. Up the river tliere’s a set- Yvonne looked alarmed. Va- tlement of nothing but Burkes. leria, Hanking Davis on the seat These people are all from the same with Barbara, leaned over and class . . . Oh, here we are. Prez- hissed: “No help here. I told this den Yvonne Craig, Davis Bert.” featherbelly we’d want some The woman stood up for him. spears to follow us, and she damn She was in her middle thirties. near fainted.” V/rgi» Planet 41

. . Davis felt course. god couldn’t "Hoy, "Mmmm . yes." A say, a moment's grimness. He couldn’t wait!” stay holed up here forever. No Valeria stood up, put an arm •wonder Val was so down on the under Barbara’s shoulders, and islanders. Not a bad girl, Val, in raised her tottery cousin. “I’ll see her waspish way. Davis tilted his her to bed,” she said frostily. winebowl. His free arm stole Davis watched them disappear around Barbara's waist. She re- into one of the huts. “Death and garded him mistily. destruction!” he said, and poured "Strong, this drink,” she said. himse^ another drink.

“Not beer. Wha’s it called?” He was tipsy, but there was "A jug of wine, and thou,” no sleep in him. Presently he smiled Davis. wandered off across a dewed

“Bubbles in my head . . sward, under the light-spattered Barbara leaned against him. shade of high trees, and stood on The Prezden gave him a large- the island rim looking across a eyed look. Minos-light streamed broken wilderness of stone and over sprawling feminine shapes. water and moonlight. “Will you take your pleasure of us The fact is, me hoy, and we

all tonight, sir?” she inquired. might as well face it with our "Yipe!” said Davis. usual modesty, Barbara is in love "Like hell you will!” Barbara with me. Maybe she doesn’t quite sat straight up and glared at him. realize it yet, but I know the Yvonne looked bewildered. Bar- symptoms. Well? bara was quite tight enough to Well, so if they could only start an argument, which would shake that Valeria hornet and never do. Davis gritted his teeth that rather cloying Elinor, they and said: “No, thanks. Tonight could have a lot of fun. Only

I must, urp, think on weighty somehow Barbara Whitley wasn’t

problems. I would be alone.” a person you could simply have Yvonne bent her long-tressed fun with. Davis grew a little head. “As the Man wishes. My scared. Cosmos sunder it, he did- house is his.” Her dignity col- n’t want to be tied down yeti lapsed in a titter. "I am his, too, So, since he couldn't get away if he changes his mind. Any of us from her, he’d have to remove would be so thrilled — ” She rose temptation by curing her of her and clapped her hands. ‘The Man feelings. In the absence of elec- wishes to be alone tonight,” she tronic psychadjusters, he thought called. “All you girls scat!" woozily, he could do that by mak- Davis gaped. It w'as not what ing her mad at him— say, by ex- he had meant. Too late now, of ercising his Man’s prerogatives ” . ”

42 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION

with, yes, with Yvonne . . . who he kissed her. She responded with must be very disappointed in an endearing clumsiness.

him ... he grinned and started “I couldn't stand it, Bertie,” down toward the village. she gulped. “You and all those As he emerged from a grove other women — what’s happened into the unreal light, he stopped to me?” short. A tall form approached “Poor little Babs.” He stroked him. “Barbara,” he stammered. her hair. “Sit down.” She came to him, smiling and They spent quite a while with- shaking the loose red hair down out words. He was delighted to over her back, but her eyes were see how fast she learned. Here in big, solemn, a little afraid. “Bert,” the shadow of the frondtrecs, she she said. “I have to talk to you.” was only a warm breathing shape She halted and stood with hands close to him clasped behind her, like a child. After a time, she blurted: Davis swallowed, because she was “Do whatever you w'ant, Bertie.” not at all like a child in other Davis reached for her — and respects. pulled up cold.

“Uh . . . sure . . . you got It was one thing to seduce an rid of that spitcat cousin of yours, Elinor or an Yvonne. Barbara was I see,” he began feebly. a different case entirely: too

“She’s asleep. I wanted this to whole-hearted, it w'ould hurt her be between us two.” too much when he finally left.

“Uh, yes, of course. Can’t settle And . . . and . . . oh, there anything with Valeria around. were all the practical objections, Ask her a civil question and you a long dangerous road ahead and get a civil war." so on. At the same time —no he

'Val . . . oh.” Light and could not rebuff her or humiliate shadow flowed across the girl. her into storming off. Suddenly: “What do you have “\Vell?” she asked with a hint against Valeria?” of testiness. "She’s just a natural-born "Well, this is a serious mat- shrew, I suppose,” he shrugged. ter,” said Davis frantically. “You “She means well. It’s only that should think —it over . . . look she — never quite knows what to here . . . but say ... we are of —the same “But nothing!”Small calloused blood, I know her and hands closed on his wrists. “Scuttle Valeria!” said Davis Davis talked. And talked. And impulsively. “Come here, you!” talked. He wasn’t sure what he She crept into his arms, her said, but it included words like hands stole around his neck and sanctity. At the end, sweating, he "

Virgin Planet asked her if she understood at all. She rolled over on her stomach “No,” she sighed. “But I im- and buried her face in her hands. agine you know best.” Foggy recollections came back, “I wonder — never mind! Of yes, Val had helped her to bed and course I do." then she passed out . . . Davis “There’ll be otlier times, darl- making eyes at ^at Yvonne trol- ing.— WTienever you want to lop — Father! fer A young O’Brien entered with “Cut that out!” groaned Davis. breakfast, which helped. Barbara “Give me a kiss and go to bed.” tottered out into the open. Ii was

Slie gave him a lengthy one. a little past eclipse, and the is- Then, rising: “There’s one thing, landers were going leisurely dearest. The others in our party about their business. Prezden — you know it could make trouble Yvonne ran warbling to greet her, — don’t let’s let on to anyone. received a bloodshot glare, and Don’t even talk to me about it backed off. Barbara smoldered her unless I say the coast is clear.” way toward a fruit grove. “All ri^t. That does make Valeria came into siglit, wring- sense. Run along, sweetheart." ing out her hair. “O, hello, little “Goodnight, Bertie. I care for one,” she grinned. "I recommend you.” a swim. The water’s fine.” ” "The word," he said, "is 'love.' "What have you got to be so "I love you, then.” She laughed, Father-damned happy about?” with a little sob, and sped off. grouched Barbara. She ran like a deer, Davis Valeria did a few steps of the thought. Evil, why couldn’t she soldier’s ax dance. "Beautiful, be trained for spatial survey? beautiful day,” she caroled. "I Married teams were common love this place!” enough. "Then it’s too bad we’re getting The girl stumbled. She spread the hell out of here." her hands, regained balance, and "Whatever for?” continued. “What reason is there to stay?” Davis felt the wind go out of Barbara kicked miserably at the him. There had been a scar on turf. “So Davis can make up to

her left hand. . . . all the women in Lysum? I sup-

pose he’s still sleeping it off.” IX "Well, he did go to bed quite late, poor dear. But he just Barbara woke up and wished walked around, thinking.” Vale- she hadn’t. What had she been ria flushed at Barbara’s look. "I drinking^ couldn’t sleep — sat up watching.” ”

44 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION

Quickly, she jumped after a red Davis was just emerging from fruit and crunched it between his hut. He looked wTetched. Bar- small white teeth. "Look, Babs, bara’s heart turned over with we do need a rest. So' do our ors- pity, she ran toward him calling pers; there aren't any here." his dear name and wondered why "Don't you know?” said Bar- he jerked, bara. "One of those yuts told me "Bert, what’s the matter? Don’t yesterday. This river runs straight you feel well?” to the sea. They have boats here, "No,” said Davis hoUowdy. we’ll lake one and make the trip Valeria joined them, walking twice as fast. The Lysumites get in a new undulant fashion. Was to the Ship that way—buy pas- everybody falling sick? “Lemme sage from — out of here,” Davis muttered. "Oh, hell, Babs. Life’s too good The musical winding of a horn to waste. I say let’s stay here a few interrupted them. more days, at least.” Valeria wan- "Somebody’s coming,” said Bar- dered off. bara. "Over the bridge." Barbara drifted glumly to the "It may not mean anything," bridge. She didn’t like the idea. said Valeria, "but let's get out of That Yvonne— ugh! the way, just in case. Better col- A swim did help. Seated again lect the Dyckman.” on the rocky bank, she found her Barbara nodded and ran off. head clear enough to hold the Elinor, stretching herself langor- problem. Which was that she ously before a burly Holloway, wanted Davis for herself. found herself suddenly prodded Just what that would mean, up the slope at dagger point. Va- she wasn't sure, but the thought leria and Davis joined them in a made her hot and cold by turns. tanglewood stand on the rim. She no longer doubted he was a They stood peering through tlie Man, but it wasn’t just any Man, leaves at a bustle down in the it w'as him. Hell fry her if she let village, the Lysumites leaping to anyone else get him! form ceremonial ranks. Then- the thing to do was sneak “Father!" breathed Valeria. out tonight, find him and — It "It’s a legate — messenger from the took more courage than facing a Doctors!” wounded stamper. But to know The awe of a lifetime rose where she stood and what she within Barbara. She had rarely meant to do about it was like a seen a legate; now and then one fresh cup of that wine drink. She had come to Freetoon to discuss put her kilt back on and returned such matters as the payment of almost merrily. annual tribute. " — "

Virgin Planet 45

This was a tall woman. She Stumbled. "You, uh, know about wore a travel-stained uniform: me?” hooded blue cloak, trousers and ’Tes," said the legate. She had boots under a white gown, heavy a low voice and a stiff accent. veil. She was mounted on an ors- "The Ship and all Atlantis have per and led remounts and a pack- awaited the Men for three hun- bird. As she stepped to earth, dred years. How many of you are Yvonne prostrated herself. there?” Valeria snapped her fingers. "Just me," said Davis. “I need "Of course!" she said excitedly. your help — the Doctors’ lielp. "Messengers from Freetoon to the Otherwise,” he finished dramati-

Ship . . . remember? The Doc- cally, "there won’t be any Men tors must —have sent to every town coming for a long time yet." to inquire The legate neither moved nor "Well,” said Davis. "Well, this spoke. Davis looked disconcerted, is terrific! Our troubles are over, but launched into his story. He girls." warmed up to it as he went along, The veiled woman entered a and clenched his fists to empha- hut. Her baggage was brought in size the main point: the Doctors after her, then she was alone. A could order his boat returned to party of women ran up the slope, him, and he would fetch the Men. calling: “Man! Man, the legate Barbara thought he looked much wants to see you!" too smug, but lovable all the same. Davis smiled importantly and At the end, the legate asked led the way down. He seated him- coollv: "Have you any weapons?” self on the dais, much to the shock “No, I—told you. Just this dirk of the crowded islanders — no- here. But body sat in a Doctor’s presence! "I understand.” and waited. Stillness lay thick. She strode from him, toward When the legate finally the bridge guards who stood hold- emerged, Barbara’s knees bumped ing their bows in what Barbara together. considered a miserable approxi- The woman had changed into mation of dress parade. Her voice ceremonials: green robe, gloved rang out: hands holding a metal staff, a "This is no Man, it’s a Mon- plumed mask in the shape of an ster. Kill it!” orsper head covering her own and making it coldly unhuman. X Davis got up. "Hello, ma’m," he smiled. There was no answer. For a moment nobody stirred. He faltered. "I am the Man,” he The legate whirled on Yvonne. ”

46 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION

“I order you in the name of Fa- with a dagger flourish. Malevo- ther,” she cried. "Kill the filthy lence answered him: “So be it, thing!" then ... for now! Don’t think Barbara had no time to think. you’ll escape Father.” She jumped, snatched a bow from Davis turned to the Whitleys. a half paralyzed guard, and lifted He was pale and breathed hard, it to her shoulder. "The first one but the words rattled from him: of you to move gets a bolt in the “We have to get out of here. Keep belly,” she announced. these people covered. I’ll— take Valeria’s dagger flared directly charge. You, you, you, you ” his before the legate. “And this witch finger chose young, horror-smitten gets a slit throat,” she added. Her girls. "Fetch out all our stuff. And voice cracked across. “Hold still, the legate’s pack. And food, plenty

you!” of it. Elinor, pick up some bows.” In Freetoon the arbalests would "No— no, you Monster,” she have been snapping already. But gasped. these were a timid folk who had "Suit yourself,” he laughed not known battle for generations. harshly. "Stay here if you want to “Drop your weapons,” said Bar- be torn to pieces as soon as we're bara. She swiveled her own from gone.” guard to guard. Armament clat- Shaking, she collected an arm- tered to the grass. A moan went ful of weapons. through the densely packed crowd. When the supplies were ready. Davis shook a benumbed head. Davis led his group up the path, "What’s the matter?” he croaked. a scared and sullen village trail- "I am a Man. Give me a chance ing them several meters behind to prove it!” and staring into the Whitley bow- "You’ve already proved your- sights. Once over the bridge, he self a Monster by assaulting the cut the cables with a few hard ax Ship’s own envoy,” shouted the strokes. The bridge collapsed into legate. “Prezden, do your duty!” the water and broke up. Yvonne Craig shuddered her “How do we get back?” cried a way backward, lifting helpless young Holloway. hands. "You mustn’t,”— she whim- "You can swim out and let ’em pered. “You can’t lower ropes for you,” said Davis. Through a haze of terror, Bar- “Now, take us to those boats I bara saw Davis shake himself. He heard somebody mention." spoke swiftly then: “Unless you The burdened women trudged want to die, lady, you’d better along the shaly bank while Yvonne tell these people to obey us." stood on the cliffs and howled \^aleria emphasized the request loyal airses. On the other side of Virgin Planet 47 a bluff, jutting into the river, a the bundles. Elinor hyddled near score of long slim bark canoes with the captive, big help she'd be! carved stemposts were drawn up. They shoved the canoe into the Davis told his prisoners to load river and climbed aboard. Davis one. “And set the others afire," he demonstrated the use of paddles, added to Barbara. set Valeria in the bow and Barbara She nodded mutely and took in the stem, and said he and Eli- forth tinder and fire piston from nor could spell them, her pouch. Flame hcked across the Ariadne rose above Ay-set, and hulls. Her mind felt gluey, she Theseus was already up. It would didn’t know if she could have be a bright night. Father! Barbara moved without him to think for could have wished for clouds, she her. felt so exposed under the naked “All right, said Davis when the sky. There was a blotch on Minos job was done. “Scram, you females, like a great bloodshot eye glaring Boo!” He waved his arras and the do^vn at her. youngsters fled screaming. No, she told herself, Father was Barbara took a certain satisfac- a lie ... at least, the stiff don in binding the legate's wrists lightning-tossing Father of the and ankles and tossing her among Ship did not exist, or if he did 48 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION then Bert witli his long legs and After a moment, Davis mur- blue eyes and tawny beard was mured: "I see. It’s a common a stronger god. Merely looking at enough pattern in history. You him made her want to cry. Doctors have had it soft for a long He grinned and wiped sweat time. You must always have off his face. "Holy Valdaoth, 1 dreaded the day when the Men don’t want to go through that would finally arrive and upset again!" he said. your little wagon. When I told Valeria looked over her shoul- you I’m alone and there won’t be der. "But we got away,” she whis- any others for a long time yet if pered. "Thanks to you, we got I don’t return — well, your bosses away.” at the Ship must already have told "To me? Thunderatlon! If you you what to do if that was tlie two hadn’t — Well, let’s take the case.” cash and let the credit go.” He "You’re a Monster!” said the regarded the legate thoughtfully. Trevor. Dogmatic as ever. "I wonder what’s beneath that "Even if you honestly thought helmet,” he said. I was, you wouldn’t have ordered He lifted the gilt orsper head. them to cut me dow'n. Even a Barbara, who had half expected Monster could go home and call haloes or some such item, was al- the true Men. No, no, my friend, most disappointed when the ash- you’re a pretty sophisticated lot at blonde hair and coldly regular the Ship, and you’ve just decided features of a Trevor appeared. to rub out the competition.” Elinor covered her eyes and "Be still before Fatlier strikes crouched shivering. "I d-d-didn’l you dead!” she cried. want to see, ma’m,” she pleaded. “Legates sent to every town," "You’ve fallen into bad com- went on Davis. “Orders to learn pany, child,” said the Trevor. what the facts are — dicker with Then, to Davis: “Are you satis- tlie Men if there really arc a num- fied, Monster?” ber of them or if they can call for "No.” He ran a hand through help; othenvise kill them and unkempt yellow hair and asked deny everything.” plaintively: "What have you got "I’d like to kill her," said Bar- against me? Don’t you know I’m bara between her teeth. a Man? You must have some bio- “Babs, have you any idea who logical kno^vledge to operate that the Doctors are . . . how many, parthenogcnetic wingding.” what families?” "You aren’t a Man.” The Trevor She frowned, trying to remem- lay back, scowling in the light ber. A child always picked up that spilled from the sky. scraps of information meant only ”

Virgin Planet 49

for initiates . . . she overheard half, you requisition an escort and this, was blabbed that by a garru- a lot of fast orspers. We ride back lous helot. "There are a few thou- to Freetoon, demand my own boat sand of them, I believe. And — oh, yes, our pseudo-legate can they’re said to be of the best fam- also order your town set free. ilies." Then we all hop into my space- "Uh-huh. I thought so. Inferior ship and ride to Nerthus —and types couldn’t maintain this sys- return with a thousand armed tem. Even with dial tremendous Men!" monopoly of theirs, there’d have Barbara tliought dazedly that been more conflict between only he could have forged such a Church and State unless — Yeh. plan. Trevors, VVhideys, Burkes, that sort — the high castes of Freetoon, XI with the wits and courage and personality to override any local Eighteen Adantean days later, chief. Well.” the canoe nosed into Shield Skerry Barbara shoved her paddle harbor. through murmurous moonlit The enormous, shifting tides waters. "But what are we going raised by the other great moons to do?” she asked in helplessness. turned the coasts into salt marshes "1 think — yes. I really think we at ebb, brackish lakes at flow. But can get away with it.” Davis took the local life had adapted, there a long breath. “The word from were even trees and grass, and a Lysum will be far behind us. Now, few of the low-caste families lived either of you two is about the size here, sunken to a naked neolithic of this dame. —You can pass for a stage but available as guides. legate yourself Valeria, impressive in robe and Barbara choked. After a mo- veil, commandeered their help. ment, Valeria shook her head. Davis had tried to quiz the “No, Bert. It can’t be done. Every legate. Beyond the information child in the soldier families gets diat her name was Joyce and he that idea as soon as it can talk: was a Monster destined for hell’s why not pass a Freetoon Whitley hottest griddle, she would tell him off as a Greendaler? There are nothing. countersigns to prevent just that.” For Davis, lack of privacy and "It isn’t what I meant,” said the w’eariness of incessant paddling Davis. "Look here. How are the had its good points. It staved off sea people to know you’re not a his own problem. The notion that genuine legate, bringing back a someday he'd face It again —may- genuine Man? Only, on his be- be alone in space with two jealous —

50 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION Whitleys, because he couldn’t back: massive blocks cut square, leave them defenseless against the a primitive lighthouse w'here oil Doctors’ revenge — made his fires behind glass burned in front nerves curl up and quiver at the of polished copper reflectors, two ends. long jetties enclosing a small har- Unless he gave himself to a bor. As they entered this, Davis psychadjuster on Nerthus and had saw that a good-sized ship — by his own hankerings electronically Atlantean standards —was in. A exorcised — which he didn’t want capstan-powered crane was un- to do— he would have to pick one loading baled cargo. Strong sun- or the other. And now that he tanned women bustled about, knew them both, he couldn’t barefoot, clad in wide trousers and choose! halters, their hair cut off just be- What have 1 done to deserve low the ears. Beyond the dock this? were warehouses and dwelling Klinor had been very quiet on units. They were of stone, with the trip. She made herself useful shingle roofs, in the same uncom- to Joyce, probably too scared of promising angular style as the both sides to reach a decision. town wall and the pharos. Davis felt sorry for her, in a pa- The ship was carvel-built, with tronbing fashion. a high poop and a corroded And then finally they were out bronze winged-fish figurehead. of the marsh. Davis guessed it had a deep The chief Nicholson had told draught and a centerboard, to him in her barely intelligible argot maintain freeway in these tricky tliat there were many many scafolk waters. There was no mast, but on many many islands, that a windmill arrangement turned Shield Skerry was only a port for idly amidships. What off Earth the inland trade. Davis looked — ? Othenvise the harbor held eagerly ahead. Behind him the only a few boats, swift-looking, stvamps were a vai>orous gray, low more or less yawl-rigged. in the sea, a storm of shrieking "Highest technology I’ve seen birds made a white wing-cloud here,” he remarked. under Minos and tlie two suns “What? Oh, you mean their otherwise there were only the skills,” said Barbara. "Yes, they huge foam-flanked waves that say the seafolk are tlie best smiths marched out of the west. The in the world. It's even said their water was a chill steely bluish- captains can read writing, like gray, the wind shrill in his ears. Doctors.” The rock was nearly hidden by Davis assumed that the pelagic the stone walls erected on its colonics were old, founded per- Virgin Planet 51 haps before the final breakdown bit. A gray-haired woman, stocky of castaway civilization. The sea and ugly, added a roar: "Shut up, held abundant food if you knew you scupperheads!” She was an how to get it. “What kind of peo- Udall, Davis recognized uneasily. ple are tliey?” he asked. She turned to Valeria and gave a “We don’t know much about crude salute. them in Uie uplands,” said Bar- “Are you in charge?” asked the bara. girl.

“Well,” said Davis, “we’ll find “Reckon I am, ma’m, being the

out pretty quick.” His stomach was skipper of this tub . . . Fishbird

a cold knot within him. out o’ Farewell Island, she is. Work at the dock was grinding Nelly Udall, ma’m, at your ser- to a halt. Women swarmed from vice.” the buildings and hurried down Joyce Trevor opened her moutli. tortuous cobbled streets. “A legate, She was white with anger. Bar- another legate, and who's that bara nudged her and she closed with her?" it again. Valeria did not thank their Valeria stood solemnly for a guides, it wouldn’t have been in moment. It grew quiet enough to character. She stepped haughtily hear the waves bursting on the onto the quay. Davis followed. breakwater. Then she lifted her Barbara nudged the wrist-bound veiled face and cried: “Rejoice! Trevor with a knife and urged her 1 have brought a Man!” after. Elinor slunk behind. It had the desired effect, diough There was a crowd now, push- a somewhat explosive one. Davis ing and shoving. A- few must be was afraid his admirers would police or guards — they wore coni- trample him to death. Nelly Udall cal, visorcd helmets and scaly cor- cuffed back the most enthusiastic selets above their pants. Davis and bellowed at them. "Stand noticed flamboyant tattoos, ear- aside! Belay —there! Show some rings, thick gold bracelets . . . respect, you ” What followed and on all classes. A Nicholson brought a maidenly blush to Bar- stood arm in arm with a Latvala, bara herself, and she was a cavalry a Craig pushed between a Whitley girl. and a Burke, a Holloway carrying When the racket had quieted a blacksmith’s hammer gave ami- somewhat, Davis decided to take able backchat to a Trevor with charge. “I am a Man,” he said in spear and armor. his deepest voice. "The legate Valeria raised her staff. found me in the hills and brought "Quiet!” she shouted. me here. She knows you are a The babble died away, bit by pious people.” S2 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION

“Bless you, dearie/’ said the “Never mind,” he said majes- Udall through sudden tears. "Sure, tically. “I’m afraid you misunder- we're pious as hell. Any Father- stood me, Captain Udall. Take us damned thing you want, ma'm, to a place where we can talk alone just say so.” with you." “But there is evil afoot,” “Yes, ma'mi" Nelly’s eyes came boomed Davis. “Before all the to light on Joyce Trevor’s sullen Men can come, you must aid me face. She jerked a homy thumb to destroy the evil in Atlantis.” toward the prisoner. “Enemy of A certain awe began to pene- yours, ma’m? I’ll chop her up j>cr- trate those hard skulls. The show sonally." was rolling. Davis turned to Nelly ‘That will not be required,” Udall. “I would speak with you said Davis. “Bring her along.” and your counselors in private," Elinor cringed back, looking at he said. the Udall from terrified eyes. She looked confused. “Sure “Awright, awright, clear a

. . . sure, ma’m. Yes, your man- way!” roared Nelly. “Stand a.sidc ship. You mean my first mate?” there, you bilge drinkers!” Her fist “Oh ... no authority here, emphasi?:ed tlie request, but no- is there? Well where does the bodv seemed to mind. Tough lot. Udall of the sea dwellers live?” Davis led his party after her, “What Udall? I’m just me." througli a narrow street to a smoky “Who is your queen, chief, kennel with an anchor painted on president —who makes the deci- the gable. “We’ll use this tavern,” sions?” said Nelly. "Break open a keg of "Why, why, Laura Macklin is — No, you fishbrains! This is the preemer, ma’m," stuttered private! Git!” She slammed the Nelly. “She’s at New Terra, that's door in a hundred faces. the capital. Did you want every- Davis coughed. When his eyes body to come there and vote, were through watering, he saw a ma'm?” room under sooty rafters, filled A republic was about the last with benches and tables. A noble thing Davis had expected to find. collection of casks lined one wall,

But it was plausible, now that he otherwise the inn was hung with thought ab<)ut it. Even under scrimshaw work and stuffed fish.

Atlantean conditions, it would be A whole seal-bird roasted in the hard to establish despotism among fireplace. a race of sailors. The cheapest Nelly fetched heroic goblets catboat with a few disgruntled and tapped a brandy cask. “Now slaves aboard could sail as fast as then, your maledom, say away.” the biggest warship. She leaned back and sprawled ”

Virgin Planet 53 columnar legs across the floor. more trouble with the, uh, agents "Death and corruption! A Man, of hell.” after all these years." "Awright, ma’m. We’ll just Formality was wasted on her, leave the Fisbbird at Bow Island Davis decided. He told her the and get orspers and ride straight same censored tale he had given to Freetoon. There’s a ridge we Lysum. can follow tlirough the marshes.” "Heard of those wenches." Davis frowned. Whatever le-

Nelly snorted. "Well, ma’m . . . gate had gone to Freetoon might sorry, you said it was ‘sir,’ didn’t have planted a story that he really you? What happened next?” was a Monster, to be killed on

"This Trevor showed up," said sight. Or no, probably not . . . Davis. "She was one of the agents that legate had no way of know- of evil, the same who had whipped ing he was the only male human Greendale and the other towns on Atlantis; she’d have to ride into attacking Freetoon. She back for orders. . . . stirred up Lysum against me. I "The faster the better,” he said. made her captive and we went "We’ll warp out at Bee-rise to- down the river till we came here.” morrow, ma’m,” said Nelly Udall. "Why didn’t you see her giz- She shook her head and stared zard, sir?” into her goblet. “A Man! A real

"The Men are merciful,” said live Man! Father damn it, I’m

Davis with a slight shudder. "Do too old . . . but I’ve seen you,

you have a place where she can sir. That’s enough for me, I be held incommunicado?” reckon.” "A what? We’ve got a brig.” "That'll do.” Davis continued After Joyce Trevor had been with his demands: passage to the safely locked in the town jail, Holy River mouth and an escort with the guard ordered not to to Freetoon, where the lady legate speak to her or let anyone else do would give the orders of the Ship. so, Nelly led Davis’ parly down Nelly nodded. “Can do, sir. to the dock, where he made a There are twenty good crewgirls short but telling si>eech to the as- on the Fishbird, and a causeway— sembled women. The inquiries of from the Ship over the swamps the preceding legate as to whether "We needn’t stop at the Ship,” a Man had been seen had paved said Valeria quickly. "In fact, I’m the way for his arrival; no one commanded not to come near it disbelieved him.

till the rest of the Men arrive. Cloud masses piled blackly out And you understand, this has to of the west, wind skirled, and scud be kept secret or \\'e may have stung his face. He felt the weari- — ” ” ”” ”

54 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION ness of being hunted. “I would felt a warm roundedness.— “Bertie, retire,” he said. I just had to come to you “Yes, sir, this way, sir,” said Davis made weak fending mo- Nelly. She gave him a wistful tions. The girl laughed shyly and look. "Sure you won’t come down— slid under his blankets. Two to the Anchor with us and fer strong arms closed about him. “Quite sure!” said Barbara and His morality stood up in indig- Valeria together. nation, slipped, and tobogganed The crowd trailed them to a whopping down liis spinal col- long house reserved for ships’ cap- umn. "C’mere!” he said hoarsely. tains. Beyond a common room, Her lips closed against his, still there was a hall lined by small inexpert, her hands shuddered bedchambers. Elinor slipped into their way along his back. Well, die first, then Valeria, then Davis, he thought with an intoxicating then Barbara ... he closed the sense of release, if Valeria chose shutters against the gale, turned to enter his bed, why, Val was off the guttering oil lantern, and a wonderful girl and he’d make crept through a sudden heavy a more or less honest woman of darkness into bed. Ahhh! her when he got the chance.

But it wasn’t easy to sleep. Too "Bert . . . Bert, darhng, I much to think about ... it don't know what . . . what this would be good to be among men is, to be with a Man— . . . but I again . . . what to do about the care for you so much Whideys? — oh, blast, face that "I told you the word was ” problem later . . . he’d be com- ‘love,’ he chuckled. ing back to Adantis, surely, to “Did you? When was that?” help these forlorn female devils "You remember, Val, sweet-— through the difficult period of heart . . . you didn’t fool me readjustment . . . Hello, Dad! I "Vair She sat bolt upright and seem to’ve been pounded into a screeched the name. "Val? What’s sober well-integrated citizen after been going on here?” all .. . But nobody mated to a "Oh, no!” groaned Davis.— “Bar- Wffiidey would ever get too bara, listen, I can explain sober “I’ll explain you!” she yelled. Drowsiness spilled from him Davis scrambled to get free. when the door opened. He sat up. The blankets trapped him. Bar- "Who’s that?” Bare feet groped bara got her hands on his throat. across the floor. His scalp pric- The door opened. The tall red- kled. haired girl carried an ax in her “Shhh!” The husky voice was right hand; the left, holding a almost in his ear. He reached and lantern, was scarred. ” —

Virgin Vianet 55 "What's happening?" barked hand dripped blood. "Hell and Valeria. sulfur!” she bawled. "Grab your To the untrained eye, a wrestl- weapons! They’re coming to kill ing match is superficially not un- you!" like certain other sports. Valeria A Macklin and a youthful cursed, set down the lantern, and Lundgard followed her. They strode forward with lifted ax. were also wounded, hastily armed, Barbara sprang out of bed, and they were crying. snatched up Davis’ knife, and “What happened?” rattled confronted her twin, Davis. "So you've been mucking "I bolted the outer door,” around!" she shouted. panted Nelly. "They'll break it "I wouldn’t talk,” answered down in a minute.” A groan of Valeria from clenched jaws. “The abused wood came from behind minute my back is turned,— you her. "I believe you’re a Man, come oozing in and — and dearie . . . that's how I got

"Now, girls,” stammered Davis. these cuts . . . but the Trevor "Ladies, ladies, please!" Why didn’t you kill that snark They whirled on him. Some- when you had the chance?” thing intimated to him that this "Trevor r Davis grabbed the was not just tlie correct approach. Udall’s shoulders. "Is she loose?" He got out of bed one jump "Yeh,” said Nelly in a flat voice. ahead of the ax and backed into “We was all down at the Anchor, a corner. "It’s all a mistake!” drinking your health, and this "The mistake was ever bringing Trevor walks in w'ith that Dyck- you along,” snarled Valeria. man of yours, says she's the legate The wind hooted and banged and you’re a Monster. Proves her- tlie shutters. Above it, suddenly, self by running through the rites he heard a roar. It swept closer, every mother knows are said at boots racketing on cobblestones, the Ship — challenges your— Whit- clattering iron, a mob howl. ley to do the same ” Nelly The W^hitleys reacted fast. shook her head. "It was quite a Valeria w'hrrred her ax, Barbara fight. We three here beat our way darted back to her room for a out o’ the tavern and got here bow. The vague light threw their ahead of ’em.” shadows monstrous across the "Elinor!” Barbara’s voice walls. seethed. Feet pounded dowm the hall. "She must have sneaked out,” Nelly Udall burst into the cham- said Davis wanly. "Gone to the ber. There were gashes on her brig, told the guard she had new squat body, and the ax in her orders from me, set Joyce free. ”

56 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION

. . . Oh, almighty Cosmos, “Shut up, you Monster!” what’re we going to do now?” screamed Elinor. “You and those “Fight,” answered Nelly. She Whitleys kicked me around once planted herself in the-doorway. too often!” There was a final crash, and “This is a waste of time," the mob came down the hall. A snapped Joyce. “If that Whitley

Salmon leaped yelling, with drawn is a true legate, let her prove it knife. Nelly's ax tluindered down, by reciting the rites.” the body rolled at her feet. A "Never mind,” siglied Davis. Hauser jabbed at her with a spear. "She isn’t. But I am a Man. I can Barbara shot tlie Hauser through bring all the Men here. The le- the breast. gate lies about me because the It dampened them. The women Doctors don’t want them. It would milled sullenly in the narrow cor- mean the end of Doctor power.” ridor, the noise quieted to a tiger- “I sort of thought tliat,” mut- ish grumble. tered the Lundgard beside him. Davis stepped forward, trying “Let me go to my spaceship,” not to shake. A scarred elderly said Davis. “That’s all I ask.” Damon faced him boldly. 'T\^ill Joyce whirled on the crowd. you call a truce?” she asked. “Let him summon die other Mon- “Yes,” said Davis. “Hold—your sters?” she yelled. “I lay eternal fire. Barbara. Maybe we can barrenness on anyone who helps

Joyce Trevor pushed her way this thing! I order you to kill it, through the crowd and regarded now!” him over Nelly’s shoulder. Ragged Nelly hefted her ax, grinning. skirt and matted hair took away "WTio’s next?” she inquired. none of her frozen dignity. “1 say Davis heard feet shuflle in the you are a Monster,” she declared. corridor, voices buzz and break, “Elinor," said Davis, very quiet- spears drag on the floor. And there ly, still not believing it. “Elinor, was the sound of new arrivals, n why did you do this?” few pro-Davis women stamping in He glimpsed her in tlie mob, and making their own threats. thin, shaldng, and enormous- Women have sliglitly less tend- eyed. Her lips were pale and stiff. ency to act in mobs than men do; “You are.” she whispered. “You at- the crowd was wavering, uncer- tacked a legate. The legate says tain, afraid. you’re a Monster.” He straightened, licked his lips, Davis smiled wryly. “I was and walked forward. "I’m going alone, and there were a lot of out,” he said. “Make way.” Doctors,” he murmured. “That’s Barbara, Valeria, Nelly and her why, isn’t it?” two companions, followed at his —

Virgin Planet 57 heels. A handful of determined Man the capstan! Looklivelynow!" roughnecks shoved through the She went aft, up on the poop to pack, toward him, to join him. a nighted helm. The other women Otherwise no one stirred. Joyce scurried about, doing incompre- boiled under the menace of Bar- hensible things with ropes and bara’s cocked bow, Elinor hid her pulleys. The great windmill eyes. If nothing broke this explo- jerked, gears whined as they en- sive quiet gaged, there was a white thresh- The w'ind raved in coalsack ing at the stem. The Fishbird streets. A lonely score of women moved slowly out of the harbor. tramped in a circle about Davk, toward the dock. He heard the XII crowd follow', but it was too dark to see them. Morning was gray over an ice- Barbara —he felt the hard stock gray sea, where waves snorted of her arbalest — whispered veno- from horizon to horizon and the mously: “Don’t think I’m coming ship wallowed. Davis emerged along for your sake, you slimy from one of the little cabins under double-face. I haven’t any choice.” the poop to find the crew— mostly When they emerged from can- young women of the more war- yon-like walls, onto the wharf, like families —chattering happily. enough light to see by trickled Barbara and Valeria sulked on op- down from the pharos. Nelly led posite sides of the deck, elabo- the way to her ship. rately ignoring him. “I’m staking one hell of a lot The windmill, facing into the on your really being a Man,” she stiff gusts, turned, driving a pro- said desolately, into the wind. “I peller through a set of gears and don’t dare believe anything else.” shafts. As he waited for breakfast, The Shield Skerry folk swirled Davis tried to lose his gloom by par- on the edge of darkness, still admiring the arrangement — it alyzed. He had to get away be- made the ship independent of fore the shooting began. He wind direction. Evil! Who cared? crossed the gangplank to the deck. Nelly Udall waddled into view. Valeria edged close to him and "Morning, dearie,” she boomed. hissed: ‘Tes, I’ll believe you're a “Not seasick, I hope? No? Good

Man too . . . and the hell with — kind of hard to believe in a all Men! I'm only coming because seasick Man, eh? Haw, haw, I haven’t any choice.” haw!” She slapped his back so he Nelly seemed to draw strength staggered. Then, seriously: from the planks booming beneath “Come into my cabin. We got to lier feet. "All aboard, you scuts! talk.” ” ”

58 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION

They sat on her bunk. She took and then, generations of sexual out a pipe and stuffed it with frustration had to be vented greenish flakes from a jar. "We somehow. can’t go on to Hol>t River now, The Doctors could not all be that’s for sure, chick. That Fa- villains. Doubtless many were ther-damned legate's been preach- quite sincere. But Davis knew ing hellfirc to 'cm back at Shield. enough Union law to be sure that The boats must already be headed anything he did to them would be for the Ship to bring ^e glad tid- all right with tlie Coordination ings. Witli a wind like this, a Service. It was they who stood yawl can sail rings around us. between Atlantis and civilization Time we get to Bow Island, even, —more important, a normal fam- all the country will be up in ily life. arms.” The idea grew slowly within "Glutch!” strangled Davis. him as the Udall rumbled on: Nelly kindled her pipe with a "I reckon we can raise quite a Are piston and blew nauseous few shiploads, then go far up the clouds. "Sure you aren’t seasick, coast and strike inland toward duck? All of a sudden you don't your boat.” look so good.” "No! said Davis. Words jx)ured "We've got to raise help,” mum- from him. "Too risky. It’ll be bled Davis. “Somewhere, some- guarded too heavily; and they may how.” have tools enough left in the Ship

Nelly nodded. "Figgered as to demolish it. We’ve got to act much. I'm bound for Farewell, my fast. If you think your friends arc home port. Got plenty of friends willing— to hazard their lives to be tliere, and nobody to conterdick free whatever you say.” Nelly smiled. “Chick, with that "But when they hear the Ship’s beard and that voice you can talk against us — ’em into storming hell gate.” "I know a lot who’ll still stick "It won’t be quite that bad,” by us, dearie. Girls like our pres- said Davis. "I hope. What we're ent crew. We’ve gotten almighty going to do is storm the Ship.” sick of the Doctors. We see more of —'em than the uplanders do, The rebel fleet lay to at SIilp the ” Nelly went into a rich cat- city at high tide, just after B-rise. alogue of the greed, arrogance, Davis stood on the Fishbird's and general snottincss of the Doc- deck and watched his forces move tors. Davis guessed that a mercan- in. There were about fort>' vessels, tile culture like this would natu- their windmills and sails like gull rally resent paying tribute . . . wings across waters muddy-blue. Virgin Planet 5$ rippled and streaked by an early crippled, to land here; probably breeze. At their sterns flew the it had come down where it could, new flag he had designed. His on the last gasp of broken engines. girls were quite taken with the The walls which now enclosed it Jolly Roger. had been built on a hill that just Tire rebels numbered some barely stuck out over high tide. 2,000 women from the Farewell Eastward lay the marches, a dreary archipelago. There were more gray land where a stone causeway than that to guard the Ship, but slashed through to the distance- less tough, less experienced in blued peaks of the Ridge. fighting — the seafolk were not Therf must have been heavy above occasional piracy. The odds coPstruction equipment in the didn’t look too bad. Ship’s cargo. A few thousand Valeria stamped her feet so the women could not have raised this deck thudded. “I’m going ashore,” place by hand. The machines she said mutinously. were long ago worn out, but then- “No, you don’t, chicakabiddy." work remained. Nelly Udall twirled a belaying The city was ringed by white pin. “Got to keep some guard concrete walls five meters high, over the Man. What’s the bloody- with a square watchtower at each be-damned use of it all if he gets corner. The walls fell to the water himself skewered?” of high tide or the mud of ebb: Barbara nodded coldly. "She's inaccessible save by the causeway right, as anyone but you could entering the eastern gate or the see,” she added. “Not that I wide quay built out from the west wouldn’t rather guard a muck- side. Against this dock the rebel bird!” boats were lying to. Gangplanks Davis sighed. In the three At- shot forth and armored women lantean weeks since tliey left stormed onto the wharf. Shield Skerry, neither of the cous- Davis let his eyes wander back ins had spoken to him, or to each to the city. He could see the tops other without a curse. After the of buildings above the walls, the hundredth rebuff, he had given dome-roofed architecture of three up. Evil take all women anyway! centuries ago. And he could see He just wanted to go home, go tlie great whaleback of the Ship back and get roaring drunk and itself, 300 meters long from nortli have the psych machine numb the wall to south wall, metal still pain which went with red hair bright but a buckled spot at the and green eyes. waist to show how hard it had He twisted his mind elsewhere. landed. The Ship must have been badly Barbara looked wistfully at the — —

60 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION

yelling seafolk. She was clad like below her, they fell hideously to

them : visored helmet on her the ground. ruddy hair, tunic of steely-scaled "Let me go!" yelled Valeria. orcfisli hide, trousers, spike-toed “Hold still,” rapped Nelly. Her boots. The accessories included worried eyes went to Davis. “I lasso, knife, ax, crossbow and qui- didn’t think Uiey’d have so good ver, she had become a walking a defense, chick. We’d better get meat grinder. them licked fast.” Davis, likewise armored, felt He nodded. They had only a the same sense of uselessness. Not couple of hours before the tide that he wanted to face edged dropped so far that any ship which metal, die thought dried out his remained would be stranded, in mouth. But when women were mud or the harbor locks, till tlie ready to die for his sake next high. Bee struck long rays into his "So we stay," growled Barbara. eyes. Ay was so close as to be hid- “Isn’t that the idea?” den by the glare of the nearer "Yeh,” said'Davis. He drew hard sun. Minos brooded overhead in on a borrowed pipe. “Only the the gigantic last quarter. There Doctors must have called in a lot was a storm on the king planet of upland warriors, to patrol be- he could see how the bands and tw-een here and Freetoon. Now blotches writhed. they’ll send for their help. If Horns blew on the walls, under things go badly. I'd like a way to the Red Cross flag. Women, lithe retreat.” tough legates and acolytes, were "Yom would,” she agreed, and appearing in cuirass, greaves, turned her back on him. and masidng helmet, all of bur- Axes, spears, swords clashed nished metal. Crossbows began to up on the wall, bolts and darts shoot. gleamed in the cool early light. There was no attempt to batter The Doctor fighters were rapidly down the iron door at the end of being outnumbered. One of them, the quay. A howling mass of sai- in a red cloak of leadership, lors raised ladders and swarmed winded a horn. Her women fought sk>Tvard. their way toward her. “Cosmos!” choked Davis. Davis gulped. It couldn’t be A Doctor shoved at one of the that simple! Yes, by all creation, ladders, but there was a grapnel the Doctor forces were streaming on its end. Davis saw her unlim- down a stairway into their town. ber a long rapier. The first rebel A slim young Burke cried tri- up got it through the throat and umph, he could hear the hawk- tumbled, knocking off the woman shriek above all the racket and — —

Virgin Planet 6 ] see Iiow her dark hair flew in th& told it to themselves in so many wind as she planted the Jolly words, but their instincts knew: Roger on the city wall. a machine w'as too unsafe a \^ay Now down the stairs! There of bringing life into the world. was a red flash of axes. The last The iron harbor doors u'ere legate backed out of view» thrust- flung open. So the west end of ing and slicing at sailor shields. town was firmly held by his side. ' Nelly grabbed Davis and "The noise of battle was receding, whirled him in a wild stomp the Doctors being driven back around the dock. "We got ’em, ... So what? A victory where we got 'em, we got ’em!’’ she car- you yourself did nothing was no oled. Planks shuddered beneath victory for a man. her. Damn! His pipe had gone out. The man felt sick. His whole "I think we’U have the mucking culture was conditioned against place before ebb,” said Nelly. war, it remembered its past too "But then what do we do?” well. If he could have been in the ‘'We’ll have the parthenogene- action, himself, taking his own tic apparatus,” Davis reminded chances, it wouldn’t have been so her. "Not to mention the prestige gruesome. But he was the only of victory. We’U own the planet.” one on Atlantis who could bring "Oh . . . yeh. Keep forget- the Men. He had to hold himself ting. I’m growing old, dearie back huh?" "Scared?” jeered Valeria. “If There was a shriek through tlic it looks like you might get hurt gateway. after all, well take you away Sailors poured out of it, falling where it’s safe." over each other, hurling their "I’m not going to retreat!” he weapons from them in blind said in a raw voice. panic. A couple of hundred "Yes, you will, duck, if we got women made for the ships. to,” said Nelly. "If you get killed, "What’s happened?” bawled wliat's for us?” Her seamed face Nelly. "Avast, you hootinanies! turned grimly inland. "We’ve got Stop that!” She went into a weep- to win ... no choice ... if ing tirade of profanity. the Doctors win, there’ll never be Barbara snatched her mega- another baby on the islands.” phone from the captain. “Pull in!” That was what drove them, she cried. "We’re going ashore thought Davis. Below all the old now!” grudges and the glamor of his The helmswoman looked ill, cause, there was the primeval but yanked a signal cord. The ship mother urge. The seafolk had not moved across a narrow stretch of ”

62 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION open water and bumped against pernatural about an ion stream. one of the docked schooners. And there’s only one of them." "Let’s go," snapped Valeria. "You’ll be killed,”— said Valeria. She leaped onto the schooner "Wait here, Bert deck. "Follow me,” he said. "If you Barbara saw Davis follow. dare!” "No!'' she yelled. They trotted after him, a dozen "Yes,’’ he answered harshly. from the Fishhird and as many 'Tve stood enough." Blind with more from the retreat whose mo- fur)', he dashed to the wharf. rale had picked up. He went The mob was still coming out through the doorway and saw an of the door and over the quay to ordered gridiron of paved streets mill on the ships. Davis grabbed between tall concrete houses. The a Craig and whirled her around. Ship rose huge at the end of all “What’s the matter?” he avenues. From two other streets shouted. She gave him an unsee- came the noise of fighting. The ing look. lie slapped her. "What battle had spread out, and few had happened in there?” yet seen the fire gun. They would,

. . . if "We . . . street fighting though, he didn’t hurry, and

Doctor troop . . . flame, white that would be the end of the re- flame and it bunted our forward bellion. line — ’’ The Craig collapsed. "We went down this w’ay," “It’s Father himself!” gasped a pointed a Latvala. Macklin. Davis jogged beftveen closed "Shut up!” rapped Davis. He doors and broad glass windows. felt sick. "I know' what it is. They Inking in, he saw that the in- must have found my blaster up habitants did themselves well, no by Frectoon, and the legate look doubt luxury existed elsev^he^e on it back here. Maybe records in the Atlantis. He could understand Ship describe blasters." He shook their reluctance to abandon such his head numbly. "Chilluns, this a w'ay of life for the untried mythic is not a good thing.” civilization of Men. "What are we going to do?” He skidded to a halt. The Doc- breathed Barbara. tors were rounding the corner Davis thought, in a remote part ahead. of his mind, that later on he There were about twenty. A would break out in the cold line of legates, their helmets face- shakes. If he lived! But for now lessly blank, spread from wall to he had to keep calm — wall with interlocked shields. Be- "We’re going to get that blas- hind them lifted swords and hal- ter,” he said. "Tliere’s nothing su- breds. Virgin Planet 63

"Get them!" shouted Nelly. led the way through another door. Three girls sprang ahead of Davis followed and saw a stair. Davis. One of them was a Whit- “Uncoil me your lasso. Babs," he ley, he thought for a moment she said. “I have an idea.” They was one of his WhiUeys and then pounded up after him. saw Barbara and Valeria still A bedroom overlooked the flanking him. street. Davis shoved up the win- Over the shield tops lifted a dow. The blaster party was just Burke face. It was an old face, underneath. Barbara nodded, toothless and wrinkled below a leaned out— her lariat closed tall bejeweled crown, and the body around the chief Doctor. was stooped in white robes. But “Helpl" screamed the Burke. his blaster gleamed in a skinny ‘Tve been roped!” hand. Davis sprang into the street. He Davis flung out his arms and landed on an armored legale and dove to the ground, carrying Bar- botli went down with a rattle and bara and Valeria with him. Blue- a gong. She didn't move. Davis white fire sizzled overhead. jumped up and sent a left hook to The three young girls fell, the nearest jaw. Valeria’s rope blasted through. It could have snaked from the window, fastened been Val or Barbara lying there to something. She came sliding dead and mutilated on tlie pave- down it with her ax busy. Valeria ment, thought Davis wildly. He and Nelly followed. remembered how he loved them. The old Burke snarled. She He rolled over, into a doorway. fought free and reached for the His gang were already stampeded. blaster. "Oh, no, you don’t!’’ Nelly stood firm in the street, Davis put his foot on it. A rapier Barbara and Valeria were beside struck his scaly coat and bent up- him. Nelly threw her ax, it ward, raking his cheek. He kicked, glanced off a shield, die legate and the woman reeled off to trip stumbled against the old Doctor. somebody else. Her next shot missed, and Nelly Nelly had picked up an ax. pumped thick legs across the “Whoopee!” she bawled, and street. started chopping. Barbara and She hit the door with one mas- Valeria stood back to back, their sive shoulder. It went down in weapons a blur in front of them. splinters. Davis sprang into a syb- Davis was still too inhibited to use arite’s parlor. whetted steel on women, but every Two legates appeared in the blow his fist dealt shocked loose doorframe. Barbara’s crossbow some of his guiltiness. snapped twice. Valeria and Nelly The fight was over it) a few 64 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION

minutes. Male size and female skill feet and triumphal clang of arms, had outweighed numbers. Davis but he was in no mood for it. stoo|H:d for his blaster. "Let’s go,” Minos was a thin sliver, witli he panted. Bee sliding close. Nearly eclipse

time . . . had all this only taken XIII three hours? The Whitleys trailed him. He They went on down the street. heard: "I take a lot back, Val. There was a narrow passage be- You fought pretty good.” tween the Ship and the wall. On “Hell, Babs, you’re no slouch the other side lay a broad open yourself. After all, darling, you square, lined with impressive tem- are identical with me.”

ples. . . . No more sound of The street opened on a narrow fighting. Odd! space running the length of the A sailor troop emerged from east wall. There was a door\vay behind one of the columned sanc- in the center, with wrought-iron tuaries. "It’s the Man!” squealed gates. Davis looked through tlic somebody. They ran toward him bars to the causeway and the and drew up, flushed. The leader marshes. Mud gleamed on the gave a sketchy salute. ridge which the road followed, "I tliink we just about have the birds screamed down after town, sir,” she puffed. "I was pa- stranded fish. The tide was ebb- trolling on the east end. Didn’t ing, the ships already trapped

see anyone.” . . . but what the Evil, they had “Good!” Davis shuddered his re- won, hadn’t they? lief. He could wot have used a Hold on there! blaster on women, the memory of The highway bent around a the dead Whitley girl was burned clump of saltwater trees three kilo- too deeply in him. meters from the city. Davis saw "Get our people together here,” what approached from the other he said. "Post guards. Round up side and grabl)ed the bars with all the Doctors left, herd ’em into both hands.

one of these chapels . . . and “An army!” he croaked. don't use them for target practice! Rank after rank poured into Set up a sickbay for the wounded, view, with war-cries and haughty and that means enemy wounded banners; now he saw leather corse- too. Nelly, you take charge, 1 want lets, iron morions, boots and spurs a look around.” and streaming cloaks. They w’cre He walked through empty ave- the hill people and tliey were rid- nues. Behind him he could hear ing to the relief of the Doctors. cheers and trumpets, the tramp of “A couple of thousand, at Virgin Planet 65 least,” muttered Barbara. ‘The le- axes bit at a roadside tree. It gates must have gone after them wouldn’t take them long to make as soon as we attacked. They’ve a battering ram. They would slog been waiting—around to kill you, forward under fire, they would be my dearest ” She whirled on slaughtered and others take tlicir him, her visored face pressed place, and the gate would come against his side. “And it’s too late down. to retreat, we’re boxed in!" “When they're in range,” leered “Not too late to fight!” shouted Nelly to Davis, “bum ’em!” Valeria. Sea women on the walls Bee slipped behind Minos. The lifted horns to lips and wailed an planet became a circle of black- alami. ness ringed with red flame. Of Davis looked at the gate. It was all the moons, only firefly Aegeus locked, but it could be broken was visible. Stars glittered coldly apart. His hand went to the forth. A wind sighed across the blaster. Before Cosmos, that would draining marshes, dusk lay heavy stop them. Nol on the world. The rebel army pelted into the Davis fired into the air. Livid open space. Right and left, ar- lightning burned across heaven, a balestiers swarmed up the stair- small thunder cracked in its wake. cases to the walls. Hasn't there Screams came from tlie shadow been enough killing^ thought army on the road, he fired again Davis. and waited for them to flee. Behind him, Nelly Udall scur- “Hold fast! Stay where you are, ried along tlie ranks, pushing Father damn you!” The voices them into a semblance of order. drifted hoarse through the gloom. Davis regarded tliem. Tired faces, “If we let the Monster keep the hurt faces, lips tliat tried to be Ship, you’ll die witli never an- firm and failed; tliey would fight other child in your arms!” bravely, but tlicy hadn’t a chance Davis shook his head. He against fresh troops. might have known it. Up on the parapets, crossbows Someone clattered up the road. began to snap. Orspers reared, Four short trumpet blasts sent tlie squawked, went oiff the road into sea birds mewing into the sudden tlie mud and flapped atrophied night. ‘Truce call,” muttered wings. The charge came to a Valeria. “Let her come talk. I clanging halt, broke up, fought its don’t want to see them fried way back along the road ... it alive.” stopped. Leaders trotted between The mounted woman ap- panicked riders, haranguing them. proached. She was an Udall. Bar- Hill women dismounted. Their bara squinted through the murk .

66 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION at the painted insignia. “Bess of Davis stared at the blaster. Grcendale!” she hissed. “Kill her!” “No,” he said. “There are decent Davis could only think that the limits.” Doctors’ desperation had been He shook himself and looked measured by their sending clear out at the vague form of the up to Grcendale for help. The woman. *T11 make terms,” he said. swamp and the upper valley must *A\^hat?” yelled Barbara and be alive with armies intent on Valeria together. keeping him from his boat. “Shut up. Bess, here’s my offer. “No,” he said. “It’s a parley, You can enter the town. The sea remember?” people will go back to their ships The Udall rode scornfully up and sail away at next high tide. under the walls. “Is tlie Monster In return, they’ll have access to here?” she asked. the life machine just as before.”

‘TTie .Man is here,” said Bar- “And you?” grated the Udall. bara. “Wc won’t stop lighting till you’re Davis stepped into view, peer- dead.” ing through iron bars and thick “Ill come out,” said Davis, twilight. “What do you want?" "Agreed?" he asked. "NoT Barbara leaped at him. “Your head, and the Ship back He swung his arm and knocked before you ruin the life machine.” her to the ground “I can kill your whole army,” “Stand back!” His voice rattled. said Davis. "VVatch!” He blasted 'Tm still a man.” at the road before him. Stone Bess Udall stared at him bubbled and run molten. through the darkness. "Agreed,” Bess Udall fought her plunging she said. "I sw'car to your terms orsper to a halt. “Do you think by Father.” that matters?" she panted. "We’re The rebels shuffled forward, fighting for every unborn kid on shadow mass in a shadow w'orld. Atlantis. VV'ithout tlie machine we "Don’t move,” said Davis. "It isn’t might as well die.” worth it . . . my life . . . “But I'm not going to harm the Evil! The Men will be here in damned machine!” another generation an>^vay.” “So >'oi< say. You’ve struck His blaster boomed, eating down the Doctors. I wouldn’t trust through the lock on the gate. He you dead without a stake through pushed it open, the hot iron your heart.” burned his hands, and trod “Oh, hell," snarled Valeria. through. With a convulsive ges- “Why bother? Let 'em attack and ture, he tossed tlie blaster into a find out you mean business." mudpool. Virgin Planet 67

"AH right,” he said. "Let’s go." to his ship to bring the Men back Bess edged her orsper close to for us!” him. Bess Udall's spear dropped to “Move!” she barked. A few die ground. women surged from the gateway. "You don’t know he's a Man,” She brandished her spear. "Stand she stammered. back, or the Monster gets this right "I sure as hell do, sister. Do now!” you think we’d have stormed the Minos was a ring of hellfire in Holy Ship for a Monster?" She the sky. waited. "Waitr Night and silence lay thick It was a Whitley voice. Davis across the land. A salt wind turned. He felt only an infinite whined around red-stained battle- weariness, let them kill him and ments. be done with it. "Almighty Father,” choked He couldn’t see whether it was Bess. "I think you’re riglit.” Barbara or Valeria who spoke: She whirled her orsper about "Hold on there! It’s us who make and dashed down the road to the the terms.” army. "Yes?” growled the rider. Her Davis heard them talking in the spear poised over Davis. orsper host. It seemed to come "We have the life machine. from very far away. His knees Turn him back to us or we'll smash were stiff as he walked slowly it and kill every Doctor in town back toward the gate. before you can stop us!” They faced Several riders hurried after him. the crowd defiantly. They pulled up and jumped to A sighing went through the the ground and laid their weapons rebels. Nelly cursed them into at his feet. stillness. "That’s right, dearie,” she "Welcome," said a voice. "Wel- cried. "What the blazes is a bloody come, Man.” machine worth when we could The sun swung from liehuid have the Men?” Minos and day burned across The Whitley walked closer, watery wastes and tlie far eastern cat-gaited. "These are our terms,” mountains. she said flatly. "Lay down your Davis let them cheg: around arms. We won’t hurt you. By him. Father, I never knew what it Barbara knelt at his feet, means to be a Man till now! You hugging his knees. Valeria pushed

' can keep the town and the ma- her way close to lay her lips on chine — yes, the Doctors — if you his. want. Just let us bring the Man “Bert,” she whispered. He 68 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION tasted tears on her mouth. “Bert, meadows behind them. Davis darling.” wondered how many of their ba- “Take cither of us,” sobbed bies he had touched, for good luck. Barbara. "Take as both if you Well, it beat kissing the little want.” apes . . . not that it wouldn’t be “Well, hooray for the Man!” nice to have a few of his own said Nelly. “Three chee —whoops! someday. Catch him there! I tliink he’s Barbara and Valeria stood be- fainted!” fore him. Under the burnished helmets their faces were draivn XIV tight, waiting for his word. His cheeks felt hot. He looked It had been a slow trip up away from their steady green eyes through the valley. They had to and dug at the ground with his stop and be feasted at every town sandals. along the way. "You’re in charge here,” he Davis Bertram stood in tall mumbled. "If you really want to grass, under a morning wind, and make Freetoon a republic — and looked up the beloved length of it'd be a big help, you folk have a his spaceship. He whistled, and difficult period of adjustment the airlock opened and the ladder ahead — at least one of you has to descended for him. stay and see the job is done right. ‘Til be back,” he said clumsily. There has to be someone here I "Inside a hundred of your days, can trust.” the Men will be here." "I know,” said Valeria. Her And what would they say when tone grew wistful. "You’ll bring he walked into Stellamont wear- that machine of yours to . . . ing this garb of kilt, feather make her forget you?” cloak, and warbonnet? "Not forget,” said Davis. "Only

The Freetoon army was drawn to feel differently about it. I’ll do up in dress parade a few meters better than that, though. I’ll bring off. Sunlight flamed on polished a hundred young men, and you metal and oiled leather, plumes can take your pick!” nodded and banners fluttered in "All right,” said Valerie. "I pick the breeze. More of their warriors you.” had survived the invasion than "Hoy, there!” said Barbara. he expected. They came out of the Davis wiped sweat off his brow. woods to worship him as their de- What was a chap to do, anyway? liverer when he ordered the town He felt trapped. set free. "It’d be better if you both Gaping civilians trampled the stayed,” he groped. "You’ll have a "

Virgin Vltnet 69

... a rough —time . . . fitting "Well, then,” said Valeria. Her into civilization knuckles tightened around her "Do you really want that?" spearshaft. “Take your choice." asked Barbara coolly. "I can’t,” said Davis. “I just "No,” said Davis. "Good Cos- can’t.” mos, no!” The cousins looked at each After all, he was a survey man. other. They nodded. One of them He wouldn’t be close to civiliza- took a pair of dice from her tion for very long at a time, ever. pouch. Even a barbarian woman, given “One roll,” said Barbara. spirit and intelligence, could be “High girl gets him," said Val- trained into a spacehand. eria. And a few gaucheries wouldn’t Davis Bertram stood aside and matter. A Whitley in formal dress waited. would be too stunning. He had the grace to blush.

In the next issue of VENTURE S F . . .

THE QUEER ONES, by T^igh Brackett

A tale, of a haudsome, yellow^haired hill girl and her strange chihl, of a TV’^ repairman who wasn^t, of a sound in the sky that was not wind or thunder ... all told in Leigh Brackett’s best head- long, breathless style

VENGEANCE FOR NIKOLAI, by Walter M. Miller, Jr,

A harsh, [>owerful story of a girl whose baby has been killed in a war of the near future, and who seeks vengeance in a way that only a woman could

Also, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Rose Sharon, and others —

World of the Future

Two stories about the world after the Blowup » , .

1. A MAN OF THE WORLD

by LES COLE

A man in tliat day will call himself civilized . . . but what would we call him by our “civilized” standards?

One thing is certain: basic hungers do not change

The day dawned bright but "Save it,” he said, over and cool, and it was the cold snap in over. "Save it. Use it up wear it the air which awakened John out make it do or do withowt.” Reeves. He rolled out of the Finally he opened the case, blankets, cast a wary eye around easing the zipper along its path the area to see if there had been with slow pressure. Inside was a any intruders. He tasted his soap dish, broken and empty; a moutli, grimaced, and stood up. toothbrush holder, frayed; the This would be the day, he felt shaving mirror cracked; the comb it in his bones. still firmly in its holder but miss- “Today you’ll find it,” he said ing more than half its teeth, an aloud, "so why not celebrate? aged crone mocking him. He drew Brush your teeth — you can afford out the toothbrush, and the half- it.” A slight breeze caused the empty tube of toothpaste. branches of the trees to rustle a Down at the stream, with lov- lonely answer. "After all,” John ing fingers, he unscrewed the cap Reeves said, "you’re still a civilized and stared at the tube, with its man.” beautiful sheer white background, Carefully Reeves lifted a small blue letters, and a red dot over the leather case from his pack. He "i.” Three times he sang it ran his fingers over the zipper “Brusha, brusha,— brusha: New and fumbled in his pack until he Ipana toothpaste ” and then gave found a small can of oil. He put himself over to the ecstasy of one drop on a finger and spread it brushing. over half the zipper's length; then Finished, he wiped the traces the operation was repeated for the of paste from his beard with his unoiled portion and it slid easily. hand and licked his fingers clean. A Man of the World 71

I’hen he returned to the camp site. ize instinctively the route ran

The gutted rabbit he'd killed through a fall-out pattern : the the day before was still lying animals he had seen then acted where he’d left it. He hacked off erratic, almost drunk. Many were the head and paws, inserted tlie dead. So he had left his planned point of his knife at tJie belly and route and moved at right angles, made a circular cut around the and the new patli had taken him body. Working his fingers in un- across the country he was explor- til he could grip the fur, he ing today, a year later. yanked and the skin slipped off When he saw the house on the like a pull-over sweater. He did small hill, he remembered his the same for the rear portion. waking thought tliat today would The man squatted and ate, be the day. The desire to rush to rocking back and forth dh his tlie house was nearly overwhelm- heels. At one point his tcetli could ing. Yet the pellet holes in his not bite the raw flesh free. Rage pack bore testimony to the effi- and frustration sw’cpt over him; ciency of the shotgun which re- he let the rabbit drop, then, and pulsed him the first time he’d jumped up, staring at the puffy blundered up to a house. masses of clouds in the sky. He spent the rest of the morn- "Filtli!”— Reeves shrieked, ing and early afternoon working "swine ” He broke off, so choked his way up the hill. There was up all he could do was gulp con- little cover; just an occasional vulsively. He then was able to clump of scrub brush growing continue, “Swine and pigs. And from dry, grassy slopes. why did you do it to me, you He went on his stomach most filth!” Abruptly he stopped and of the way. At intervals he would returned to breakfast. rise and run, falling behind a se- John Reeves had been without lected bush. The late fall sun had human companionship for a long dispersed the morning mists; now time, now. . . . it was hot. The sweat on his eye- brows and cheeks ran down into He’d been over this country be- his beard and itched, and he fore, but it had been more than a scratched his face cruelly. year since, just after the Blowup, Excitement began to mount as and the conditions then were far he drew closer. The house looked from good. deserted, and, better, not to have Reeves was a meticulous man; been looted. he’d had a survival kit prepared “I w’onder w'hy, John," he whis- and escape route chosen. He was pered aloud during a rest. “Is it enough of a sur\dvor type to real- because this Is back woods conn- 72 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION try off the beaten trails?" He wall, and ducking back. There quieted abruptly, for the last was no reaction, so he eased in- words had been spoken in normal side. The place was deserted —he conversational tones. • realized that with considerable let- Finally he made It to the top, down. behind the house. He took cover “Where are you?” he whis- in back of tlie woodshed, and eyed pered, "come and fight." the house, noticing for the first He stood momentarily, survey- time that some of the windows ing the prize he’d won. The barn had been broken: apparently loot- was his, and the woodshed, too, ers had been here. There was even and if the enemy was around, he a slim chance that someone was must be in the house. occupying the house now. His Boldly now he strode to the hopes fell, yet he could leave no back door. It was open, slightly possibility uninvestigated. ajar. With his foot he kicked it "What would you do, John, un- farther open; the crash, as it der those conditions?" he asked. swomg around and hit the wall, His face took on a cunning look echoed throughout the structure. as he replied, ‘Td wait in the barn Survival instinct made the man till tlie intruder was in the house Jump to one side of the doorway, and tlien take him unawares.” He in spite of his aggressive attitude. paused a moment and then Nothing happened. "All right. laughed silently. "You fool them I’m coming after you,” he said — try the bam first.” and entered. In room after room, He slipped out of his pack and the story was the same: the house, put it on the ground. Then he too, was deserted. Reeves had won picked up a small rock and a his victory over the ghosts of an length of two-by-four lying near- extinct era. by. He svmng it, feeling the bal- Obviously looters had been ance. here. The place was a shambles; He darted over to the barn, the furniture upset and strewn running openly. By now, if there about, the front door hanging by were occupants, they would be one hinge, the kitchen torn apart aware of him. He was careful, in a search for staples. liowever, to run to the rear of the With mounting disappointment structure, keeping it betw'een him he began the room-to-room search and the house. Then he worked he’d not had time to conduct on his way cautiously to the front. his first trip through. The barn doors were hanging The bathroom was first on the open. Quickly Reeves tossed the list, and it took only a quick glance rock inside, bouncing it against a to realize it wouldn’t be found a —

A Man of the World 73 here. The wall cabinet mirror was sneer almost turned to pity. The gone, of course, as were its con- fool didn’t even bother to check tents. A dark brown stain in the the woodshed. But both their packs tub suggested evil. were full and looked inviting. The bedrooms, too, yielded Maybe this punk kid had one! nothing. His hopes fell further. He was close enough to hear There was small likelihood of their w'hispered conference. She finding what he wanted in the was to stand guard in front while living-dining area. . . . he invesdgated the house. The boy It wasn’t much of a sound— went past his line of sight; up the faint whistle — but it brought him steps and into the house — the whirling to a crouch at the win- door crashing as it had with him. dow. Two figures were approach- Now all Reeves could see was the ing; he thouglit he could distin- girl, watching and then slowly guish a man and a woman. turning to cover the front, a Their tactical approach was wicked looking Winchester .32 ri- clumsy, much too open. Profes- fle held at ready. sionally he sneered at them, even Now is the moment, he thought while planning his defense. One to himself, as he eased forward. certain Now, on your stomach, thing was ; they weren’t your going to steal his house from him. knees, your feet, but silently. So It would, however, call for an silently. amount of slyness. He doubted Dim memories came back. It that he could handle two at once; was a different war, a different they'd have to be taken separately. time, a different world . . . the Silently he crept out the back, sergeant’s voice in his ear, repeat- angling to the barn, keeping the ing over and over, “Fast . . . .” house between himself and tiie fast . . . fast . . intruders. He circled in back of She fell silendy and he caught die barn, watching. the rifle as it slipped from her They came, much too quickly. hands. He paused and listened, They blundered into the area, try- but there was no noise from in- ing to be silent, failing. He could side. see them clearly. They were Then he looked again at the young, about ten years his junior. unconscious girl. Vague stirrings The boy was unbearded: either began in him; this was the first clean-shaven today, or still too time since the world died that he’d

young to need it. been this close to a woman. His The girl stood between the heart beat too fast; his temples house and the bam while the man throbbed. He bent down towards investigated the latter. Reeves’ her 74 VENTUBE SCIENCE FICTION

The noise inside tlie house re- blindly staggered aside in time to minded him: he still had some- avoid a fatal cut from the now thing to do. unsheathed knife of the foe. As it Ignoring the sudden sweat was, the point passed glancingly which had sprung out over his below his ribs and opened a nasty body, he put down the rifle and cut. stole silently up the steps and The sharp, biting sensation of stood beside the door. He checked severed skin seemed to clear his his knife wiped his palm on his mind. In detailed perspective he shirt, and took a firm grip on the saw what he would lose: tlie haft of the weapon. He scratched house, the woman, his life. The his beard, fiercely. youth’s momentary advantage was He screamed once, in falsetto, gone; by the time he struck again, hoping it sounded feminine. Foot- with all his force, Reeves dodged. steps, urgent running footsteps The other stumbled by, and pounded down the hall. Just as Reeves, with all his fading they got to the doorway, Reeves strength, struck him in the throat stuck his foot across it. His enemy with his balled fist. burst out, tripped, and rolled down The boy fell, gasping, and tried the front steps, dropping his ri- to rise. Reeves was already there, fle. kicking at the same vulnerable Reeves jumped after the youth, spot. The enemy dropped his knife raised the knife, and struck. He and fell on his back. Quickly hadn’t counted on the other’s Reeves scooped it up and plunged quick recovery; he missed as the it home. youth rolled away. Growling, he With nervous fingers he rolled threw himself on his foe’s body, the body over and undid the pack. unaware that he’d dropped his He spilled the contents on the knife. ground, pawing through. The youth fought silently; Suddenly, with sharply in- Reeves mouthed syllables of idi- drawn breath, he saw it! The ob- otic filth. The youth fought si- ject of his long search was over. lently—but with desperation and Rising, he danced merrily in cir- knowledge. Reeves did not recall cles, holding on high the straight knowledge or experience, and razor, the strop, and an unbroken slowly, not understanding why, shaving mirror. he began to lose. He felt himself Spent finally, he stopped and tiring. began laughing with joy. “John, His teeth were firmly clenched John, you can shave again. John, in tlie other’s arm when he let go, you will be clean-shaven! You suddenly kneed. He doubled and will be civilized again, John, and A Man of the World 75 when you are, die world will be tight sphere upon which a giant civilized, too. . . pounded. Each jar shook him to He fondled his prizes, gazing his being; each beat was a black- at himself in the mirror, seeing a smith hitting an anvil multiplied strange bearded face, seeing the a thousandfold; each throb the reflection of the sun’s rays bounce pounding of die sea a hundred- off nearby objects. The circle of fold. light, in one of its trips, caught Slowly, the bleeding and pain the hair of die girl where she lay. in his side unnoticed, he rose.

Reeves stopped then, staring at Daintily he stepped over the still her anew. Tears ran from his form of his scratched, battered and eyes as the tension began again. deceased foe. Hypnotically, una- With dirty, red-stained fists he ware he still held the mirror and wiped them away until he was no blades, he strode toward the su- longer aware of them. pine form of the woman. His world compressed to a John Reeves, civilized man.

2 . A WOMAN OF THE WORLD

by ROSE SHARON

And the woman of that future day? The same feeling of civilization, the same

(and not quite the same) hungers . . . and how will they express themselves?

It took longer than she the door. He had his back to her, planned to fill her pockets and talking to somebody else, but tlie lock up the cabinet again. After first step she took inside he turned that, she had to find some place around as if she’d gone right up to leave the key where they could and touched him; he heard her or find it. but where the children smelled her or something. couldn’t reach it. Then when she She stood there, just inside the got back to the party, Tom was doorway, convinced that he had nowhere in sight. Naturally. also sensed somehow the weight And—wouldn't you know it?— of the sagging full pockets that Steve was riglit there, just inside pressed against her hip, on die —

76 VENTUBE SCIENCE FICTION inside of the carefully arranged But that was all just helpful; the coat over her arm. big thing was what nobody knew, "Well, hi there, Princess," he except Tommy. The way the said, and only his voice made a pockets of her coat were sagging joke of the name. His eyes meant witli the weight of the rifle shells, it. “1 was beginning to think you she could no more have let Steve were going to stand us all up to- carry it than she could have stood night.” up there and made a public "I went back to get my speech about what she was doing. wrap . . ."she began. It was a wonderful party — the "Here, I’ll put that away for best one she could remember.

— ’’ you he interrupted. Partly because it was Tommy's Then his hand touched the coat party in a way, and she was over her arm, and both of them Tommy’s girl. But probably more stopped short as her muscles because she knew it was ^e last jumped in recoil, shrinking away one, and her own excitement was from the touch. catching. She could feel it com- She saw the hurt cross his face ing back at her from every man as he pulled his hand back, and she danced with. she was almost sorry for him They stayed just long enough the damn fool! Just like the rest to make it look barely all right, of them here: they wanted and and walked out, her coat on his wanted and wished and wailed, arm while everything was still go- and not one had the guts to go ing strong. get what he wanted. As soon as they were out of But she did. earshot she whispered fiercely: She made a remote small smile 'Tou still hm’e it?” at Steve, and stepped forward a "Sure,” he said. “VVhat did you pace to search the room with her think?” eyes. When she found Tommy, "I don't know. He might have .” she just stood there waiting till asked you for it . . he saw her too. He came across "He did —when I got back to the big barn floor, weaving be- the party. 1 told him I left it in tween the dancing couples, and my other pants.” she held out her coat to him with "No,” she said loudly. A an inward sigh of relief. shadow had passed the door. "I Everyone there would have want to go down to the dock.” It noticed, and they’d all feel sorry was what any girl would say. If for Steve, and nobody would be you left the dance with a boy, surprised at all when she walked you could only be going to the out with Tommy Handley later. woods or to the dock, where they — .

A Woman of the World 77

had a floodlight on party nights. coming straight at her. She pulled And the way to the dock took the gate open wide, jumped onto them past the small barn. tlie ninning-board of the ancient Ford as it slowed to go tlirough, The little bam was a car- and held on tight till they were pentry shop and machine shop round the bend and far enough now; this was one of the keys down the road for Tom to open Steve usually kept after working the door and let her get in

hours; it was the one Tommy had It was just as easy as tliat. The lied about leaving in his other thing was, nobody back there ever pants. thought anyone would want to Inside, the two of them worked get out. All their barbwire and feverislily. The stores of food, trick gates and sentry posts and smuggled out of the kitchen by alarm rigs — all of it was just to Ellen and into the shop by Tom; keep outsiders out. And except for die few tools he thought he had a few things, like the gas and the to have; two rifles off the wall ammo that really took some doing hooks; their stored ammunition, to get at, the supplies w’ere no plus her last two pocketfuls; the problem to store up, as long as three spare cans of gasoline you took a little bit at a time, and everything went into the car, got out before Inventory, which where tivo empty packs, and a wasn’t till next month.

change of clothes for each of them The real crazy part of it, were already hidden under the though, was the car: the way they seat. all sat around watching Tommy By the time anybody who cared tinker witli his old Ford every enough to watch could be sure night for the last month and diey weren't coming out onto the chatted about the fine thing he lighted path again, Ellen did was doing for the Farm. And come out — walking fast, and every time he wanted to try it headed straight across toward the out again, he’d get the keys for gate, not toward the dock at all. the gas pump, and every time he This was the only tricky part, got the keys, he’d draw a couple and she was the one who had to gallons more than he wrote down. do it, because they weren’t sure if And just to top it all off, the big she could drive well enough to party tonight, to celebrate getting manage the car. At the barbwire the car fixed . . . right on top fence she stopped and waited, till of the demonstration trial that she heard the roar of the motor gave him the extra cans of gas. and the sudden shouting voices, All it took was timing. Timing and the headlights seemed to be and guts. —

78 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION “Hey, Tommy?” "That’s a good twenty-nine mile. "Yeah?” They'll— never get this far. Take "You got the geiger, didn't it ” She shook off his hand im- you?” patiently. "Sure, honey. We got every- ‘Tfou mean right in the middle thing. Listen, kid, you can relax of town?" she demanded, as the now. Quit worrying. We got it outline of a parking lot between made.” He took his eyes off the buildings began to suggest itself ruinous road just long enough to through the darkness. smile at her, and reached out "What's the matter? Take it with his arm and pull her closer. easy, baby. We got it made

Contentedly, she let her head now . . settle on his shoulder, and stayed “Keep your goddam hands off there, feeling the wind in her me! 1 don’t know what you think hair, and listening to tlie sound of you got made, but it aim gonna an automobile engine again. be me, brother. Not here."

Funny how quick you forgot. It "Now look, honey. . . . It’s wasn’t much more tlian a year safer here tlian it would be up in since they used to drive back up the woods, or off the side of the .” the hill from the movies this way road someplace, or . . ... a whole crowd together "It ain’t safe anyplace.” she or just two alone, like now. said flatly. "Not till we get a Not like now at all, of course. chance to look around in daylight That was fun; this was deeply and see what’s what. If you exciting, this going out to Rnd a wanted something safe, you new life in a new world. Drow'sily should of stayed witli big old she wondered how far they’d have Uncle Steve on the farm. He's to go, how hard they’d have to safe! ... Oh I’m sorry, Tommy." look to find good land with maybe Her anger was gone as suddenly a decent house on it, where tliey as it had come. “I’m all on edge, could settle. . . . I guess. Maybe I was asleep. What

She must have fallen asleep, or time is it, anyhow?” part-way at least, because she sat He was right, of course. If it up witli a jolt when he pulled the took them three hours to travel a car to a skidding stop on wet lousy thirty miles, it made sense gravel. to wait till dawn here in town, "Where are we?” She couldn’t and get some sleep, and then be see anything in the blackness. able to pick tlieir roads a little ?” "What . . . better in the light. Nobody would "Hobeyville,” he said, and tried come this far after them. And to pull her back against him. even if they did, they wouldn’t A Woman of the World 79 start till after the sun was up. "Okay, baby, you’re the boss.” ‘Tm sorry,” she said again. He started the motor again, and “Look, wc better take turns sleep- they crept forward, bouncing and ing. I had a kind of a nap al- jumping as the two bare rims hit ready. You’ve been doing all the the potholed remnant of a high- work. Why don’t you go in back way. It was easier, actually, when and stretch out, and I’ll wake you he turned off onto a grassy strip .” up later . . between trees and brush, that “There’s other things I could looked like it might have been a use more than sleep,” he said, and dirt road once; here the new tried to get hold of her again. growth cushioned them a little. "Oh, Tommy,” she said, "not They emerged on a high cliff, «oir. Here, I mean. Where any- overhanging the river bank. body could be ... oh you He parked in the shelter of a know!” And when he wouldn’t tree, and got out to scout the stop, she said, "Besides, I’m woods a little ways in, while she scared. Listen, one of us has to covered him from the car with the keep watch. If anybody came up, Winchester. we might not hear it, and maybe "Don’t see no signs of people,”

. . we’d both fall asleep . please, he announced when he came back. Tommy, can’t you wait a little "Plenty of rabbits, though. Pretty while?” livelv-lookin’, too." So he climbed over into the She nodded, and got out and back seat, and she sat there wide stretched. Then they botli strapped awake and waiting eagerly for on their packs, and picked up their dawn. rifles, and locked the car up tight Single-file, because there were One hundred and eighteen bad chunks out of the road, they miles from Hobeyville, about ten started walking down along the o'clock in the morning of their edge of the cliff. Below them, they third day, the motor coughed could see a stretch of water for feebly, and Tommy got out to un- perhaps a mile in either direction. screw their next-to-last spare can On the opposite shore of the of gas. river there was no cliff: just a "Nice-lookin’ country here," he slow-rising hillside, witli brown- said wistfully, when he got back leafed trees not turned near as in, and this time she agreed with far as the ones back home; and him. between the trees and the river "There’s a river over that way,” a grey dry stretch of rubble and she reminded him. “If we can find debris from the spring floods. .” a way to get over to it . . Stones and boulders, twisted 80 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION branches, a piece o6 somebody's and Tommy carried up water roof standing on edge not twenty from the river for them to boil and yards upstream from the dug-out fill the jugs again. He even made foundations of what -once must an extra trip for a bucket full to have been somebody’s river-edge get washed with; and in spite of cottage or camp. her kidding, he heated up a cup- Outside of tlie river and them- ful for himself, and got out his selves, and a few birds circling father’s old straight razor, and lazily near the cliff, nothing shaved himself carefully. moved. It was hard to think of "My beard might not look like danger lurking in the painted so much,” he said mildly, “but it landscape. sure can itch like hell.” The girl nodded, smiling. "Ju5t After that he wanted to make like home,” she said, thinking of love again. Naturally. But this the creek down in the village, when time even he could see they ought the big dam went last spring. to use the daylight to look around “Yeah.” Tommy, stopped to some more. They had to find some sling his rifle over his shoulder, place to stay pretty soon now. and shift the knife on his belt This country looked good, but closer to his hand. “If I sec an- they’d have to find a house, or get other one o’ them rabbits, I’m started building one, if they were gonna try for 'im — what do you going to stay. . . . think?" It was past the middle of the "Sure,” he said. "Steve’s crazy afternoon when they came out of anyhow.” Steve wouldn’t let them the woods into a clearing, and hunt any farther than ten miles saw the house. That wasn’t 'u hat from the farm. He kept saying they noticed first, though, either the animals anjT^lacc around a of them. The way they came to bombed area would be poisonous, it, the first thing they saw was and there was no way to know the fields behind the hill, and the how close you were to a fallout red bam on the top. And Ellen section, once you got away from gave an involuntary low whistle of the farm. But tliey’d have to start surprise when the house suddenly living off the land sooner or later, came into view around tlie edge and tills certainly looked like of the bam. healthy country. “He’s crazy,” she It didn’t look as if anybody had said again. “He’s got everybody up been near the place since spring. there so scared they won’t blow Everything just empty. But they .” their noses without asking. . had to play it careful anyway. They got a rabbit for lunch, She covered him while he and made a fire and hot coffee looked into the barn. “Nothing A Woman of the World 81 ilieru," he said, but he was and thought he knew what he was jumpy. "I don’t know what it is,” being careful for. he said uneasily. A good kid. . . , Sure. . . . She felt it too, but one of them All she ever heard was a had to show some guts. “Want whistle of air behind her. me to take the house?” she asked After a while she realized she contemptuously. was lying on the ground, and ‘Ton better stay out front,” he couldn’t find her gun. She patted said. "And listen, honey— don’t the ground around her with her think twice before you shoot.” hand; got her eyes part way open, “All rightr she said. “I know and became aware of sound. what to do.” She'd been covering Grunts. Thrashing. Two men were him from the car and tlie woods fighting. She could see better now, and one place and another for and the first thing she saw clearly three days now. “Yell out when was the knife. it’s okay.” Flash. Thrash. She watched him go up to the Men fighting. A man and a door and push it open. There was boy. Tommy . . . a crash that made her jump, and She ought to do something. then she felt ashamed, because She tried to move, and lightning she realized it wasn’t a gun, it streaked through her head. He hit wasn’t anything at all, it was just mel The other man, the bearded the door banging. one with the filthy bloody clothes She turned around slowly, — he must have been here all the covering a half-circle with the time. Came up behind, and rifle. Jumpy, she thought. Both of knocked her out. tliem. What the hell was she so She saw the gun now, on tlie jumpy about? . . . But she knew ground, two body-lengths away. why . . . knew it because she She started toward it, and tlie was standing here waiting to go movement made the lightning into the house they’d probably live crack again, inside her head. in, and the thought of it gave her When she looked at the noises the creeps. again, the boy was on lop. She It was Tommy ... could lie still then. Tommy didn't

Tommy with his Please, honey need her. He could win. . .

. . . and his Take it easy, hahy Realization swept through her

. . . and his Vm sorry and better like the warmth of the sun in a he careful and what do you think? mist-chilled dawn. It was her they Tommy witli all the careful w’ere fighting for. She had to lie little safety rules Steve had taught still. him. But at least Steve was a man, Grunt. Flash. 'Thrash. Grunt. 82 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION

And the man was on top now. ly kill her if she as much as moved. Reflexively, she inched forward Could he hear her heart beat? again, but even before the pain Her lungs were bursting. If she hit, she stopped. The best man breathed, would he kill her? If

. . . best man always wins. So she didn’t, she would die. that was all right . . . The shiver that ran through She lay still, waiting and her body as she felt his approach w’atclied the man, the best man, was movement too. But for this, drive the knife home. she knew tliat she would not be She lay there, watching, killed. through slitted eyelids, while the Slowly, with a sense of infinite best man, brute, bloody-beard- relief, she let the air out of her bad-man, pawed with animal bursting lungs. Her body went fingers through the dead man’s limp, every muscle relaxed. She pack. Watched while the bullets breathed in deeply, filling her an

Kyes closed; but she could see come. . . . the razor still. If she moved, he Ellen Reeves, mother of civil- would kill her. He would certain- ized man. THE DUST OF DEATH

by ISAAC ASIMOV

Farley had not spent half a year alone on Titan with only robots to talk to just to see another man take the credit.

He’d fight for his rights—he’d even murder • • •

Part I new and wonderful when care- fully designed apparatus was set Like all men who worked floating freely in orbits about under the great Llewcs, Edmund space-stations. Farley reached the point where he But, truth to tell, UcAves was thou^t with longing of the pleas- a credit-stealer, a sin almost im- ure it would give him to kill that possible to forgive. Some name- same great Llewes. less student had first thought of No man who did not work for setting up apparatus on the Lunar Llewes would quite understand surface; a forgotten technician the feeling. Llewes (men forgot had designed the first self-con- his first name or grew, almost un- tained space-reactor. Somehow consciously, to think it was Great, both achievements became associ- with a capital G) was Everyman’s ated with the name of Llewes. idea of the great prober into the And nothing could be done. unknown: both relentless and An employee who resigned in an- brilliant, neither giving up in the ger would lose his recommenda- face of failure nor ever at a loss tion and find it difficult to obtain for a new and more ingenious at- another job. His unsupported tack. word against that of Llewes would Llewes was an organic chemist be worth nothing. On the other who had brought the Solar System hand, those Avho remained with to the service of his science. It was him, endured and finally left with he who first used the moon for good grace and a recommenda- large scale reactions to be run in tion, were sure of future success. vacuum, at the temperature of But while they stayed, they at boiling water or liquid air, de- least enjoyed the dubious pleasure pending on the time of month. of voicing their hatred among Photochemistry became something themselves. 83 84 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION

And Edmund Farley had full easy man to kill because of his reason to join them. He had come regular habits, you see. You can from Titan, Saturn's largest satel- rely on him. For instance, look lite, where he had single-handed at the way he insists on eating (aided by robots only) set up by himself. He closes his office at equipment to make full use of Ti- 12 sharp and opens it at 1 sharp. tan’s reducing atmosphere. The Right? No one goes into his of- major planets had atmospheres fice in that interval so poison has composed largely of hydrogen and plenty of time to work.” methane, but Jupiter and Saturn Belinsky said, dubiously, “Poi- were too large to deal with, and son?” Uranus and Neptune were still too "Easy. Plenty of poison all over e.xpensively far. Titan, however, the place. You name it, we got it. was Mars-size, small enough to Okay, then. Llewes eats one Swiss operate upon and large enough cheese on rye with a special kind and cold enough to retain a me- of relish knee-deep in onions. We dium-thin hydrogen-methane at- all know that, right? After all, we mosphere. can smell him all afternoon and Large-scale reactions could pro- we all remember the miserable ceed there easily in the hydrogen howl he raised when the lunch- atmosphere, where on Earth those room ran out of the relish once same reactions were kinetically last Spring. No one else in the troublesome. Farley had designed place will ever touch the relish, and redesigned and endured Ti- so poison in it will hit only Llewes .” tan for half a year and had come and no one else. . . back with amazing data. Yet some- It was all a kind of lunch-time how. almost at once, Farley could make-believe, but not for Farley. see it fragment and begin to come Grimly, and in earnest, he de- together as a Uewes achievement. cided to murder Llewes. The others sympathized, It became an obsession with shrugged their shoulders, and him. His blood tingled at the bade him welcome to the frater- tliought of Llewes dead, of him- nity. Farley tensed his acne- self able to take the credit that scarred face, brought his thin lips was rightfully his for those months together and listened to the others of living in a small bubble of oxy- as they plotted violence. gen and tramping across frozen Jim Gorham was the most out- ammonia to remove products and spoken. Farley rather despised him set up new reactions in the thin, for he was a "vacuum man” who chill winds of hydrogen and me- had never left Earth. thane. Gorham said, "Llewes is an But it would have to be some- The Dust of Death 85 thing which couldn’t possibly tanks and fame; Farley for the cu- harm anyone but Llewcs. That bic miles and oblivion. sharpened tlie matter and fo- All those little tanks of gas; cussed things on Llewes’ atmos- each its own color; each a syn- phere room. It was a long, low thetic atmosphere. Hydrogen gas room, isolated from the rest of the in red cylinders and methane in laboratories by cement blocks and striped red and white, a mixture fire-proof doors. No one but of the tw'o representing the at- Llewes ever entered, except in mosphere of the outer planets. Ni- Llewes’ presence and witli his per- trogen in brown cylinders and mission. Not that the room was carbon dioxide in silver for the ever actually locked. Tlie effec- atmosphere of Venus. The yellow tive tyranny Llewes had estab- cylinders of compressed air and lished made the faded slip of the green cylinders of oxygen, paper on the laboratory door, read- where Earthly chemistry was good ing "Do Not Enter" and signed enough. A parade of die rainbow, with his initials, more of a bar- each color dating back througli rier than any lock. . . . Except centuries of convention. where the desire for murder su- Then he had the drought. Tt perseded all else. was not born painfully, but came

Then what about the atmos- ail at once. In one moment, it phere room? Llewes’ routine of had all crystallized in Farley’s testing, his almost infinite cau- mind and he knew what he had tion, left nothing to chance. Any to do. tampering witli the equipment it- self, unless it were unusually sub- Farley waited a painful month tle, would certainly be detected. for die 1 8th of September, which Fire then? The atmosphere was Space Day. It was the anni- room contained inflammable ma- versary of man’s first successful terials and to spare, but Llew'es spaceflight and no one would be didn’t smoke and was perfectly working that night. Space Day aware of tlie danger of fires. No was, of all holidays, the one most one took greater precautions meaningful to the scientist in par- against one. ticular and even the dedicated Farley thought impatiently of Llewes would be making merry the man on whom it seemed so dif- then. ficult to wreak a just vengeance; Farley entered Central Organic the thief playing with his little Laboratories Cto use its official ti- tanks of methane and hydrogen de) that night, certain he was un- where Farley had used it by the observed. The labs weren’t banks cubic mile. Llewes for the little or museums. They were not sub- 86 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION ject to thievery and such night- tized by the intensity of his own watchmen as there were had a concentration. Finally, using a bit generally easy-going attitude to- of facial-tissue, dampened with ward their jobs. saliva, he began to wipe off the Farley closed the main door outer rim of the nozzle, enor- carefully behind him and moved mously relieved that the job was slowly down the darkened corri- done and he’d soon be out. dors toward the atmosphere room. It was then his hand froze, and His equipment consisted of a the sick uncertainty of fear surged flashlight, a small vial of black through him. The flashliglit powder, and a thin brush he had dropped clattering to the floor. bought in an art-supply store at Fool! Incredible and miserable the other end of town three weeks fool! He hadn’t been thinking! before. He wore gloves. Under the stress of his emo- His greatest difficulty came in tion and anxiety, he had ended actually entering the atmosphere at the wrong cylinder! room. Its “forbiddenness” ham- He snatched up the flash, put pered him more than the general it out, and, his heart thumping forbiddenness of murder. Once in, alarmingly, listened for any noise. however, once past the mental In the continuing dead silence, hazard, the rest was easy. he regained a portion of his self- He cupped tlie flashlight and control, and screwed himself to found the cylinder without hesita- the realization that what could be tion. Ilis heart was beating so as done once could be done again. almost to deafen him, while his If the wrong cylinder had been breath came quickly and his hand tampered with, then the right one trembled. would take two minutes more. He tucked the flash under his Once again, the brush and the arm, then dipped the tip of the black dust came into play. At artist’s brush into the black dust. least, he had not dropped the vial Grains of it adhered to the brush of dust; tlie deadly, burning dust. and Farley pointed it into the noz- This time, the cylinder was the zle of the gauge attached to the right one. cylinder. It took eons-long seconds He finished, wiping the nozzJe for that trembling tip to enter the again, with a badly trembling nozzle. hand. His flash then played about Farley moved it about deli- quickly and rested upon a reagent cately, dipped it into the black bottle of toluene. That would do. dust again and inserted it once He unscrewed the plastic cap, more in the nozzle. He repeated splashed some of the toluene on it over and over, almost hypno- the floor and left the bottle open. ” —

The Dust of Death 87

lie then stumbled out of the puter. Now that it had all been building as in a dream, made his done, would it work? Llewes way to his rooming house and the might ignore the smell of toluene. safety of his own room. As nearly Why not? The odor was unpleas- as he could tell, he was unob- ant, but not disgusting. Organic served througljout. chemists were used to it.

He disposed of the faciabtissue Then, if Llewes were still hot he had used to wipe the nozzles on the trail of the hydrogenation of the gas cylinders by cramming procedures Farley had brought it into the cigarettc-ash disposal back from Titan, the gas cylinder unit. It vanished into molecular would be put into use at once. It dispersion. So did the artist's brush would have to be. With a day of that followed. holiday behind him, Llewes would The vial of dust could not be be more than usually anxious to so gotten rid of without adjust' get back to work. ments to the disposal unit he did Then, as soon as the gauge- not think it safe to make. He cock was turned, a bit of gas would walk to work, as he often would spurt out and turn into a did, and toss it off the Grand sheet of flame. If there were the

Street bridge. . . . proper quantity of toluene in the air, it would turn as quickly into Farley blinked at himself in the an explosion mirror the next morning and won- So intent was Farley in his rev- dered if he dared go to work. It erie, that he accept^ the dull was an idle thought; he didn’t boom in the distance as the crea- dare not go to work. He must do tion of his own mind, a counter- nothing tfiat would attract atten- point to his own thoughts, until tion to him on this day of all footsteps thudded by. days. Farley looked up, and out of dry throat, cried, — With grayish desperation, he a — "What worked to reproduce normal acts w'hat of nothingness that made up so "Dunno," yelled back tlic oth- much of the day. It was a fine, er, "somelliing wrong in the at- warm morning and he walked to mosphere room. Explosion. Hell work. It was only a flicking mo- of a mess.” tion of the wrist tliat was neces- The extinguishers were on and sary to get rid of the vial. It made men beat out tlte flames and a tiny splash in the river, filled snatched the burnt and battered with water, and sank. Llewes out of the wreckage. He He sat at his desk, later that had the barest flicker of life left morning, staring at his hand-corn- in him and died before a doctor 88 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION

had lime to predict that he would. tapped one finger against the desk- On the outskirts of the group top metho

would remark on it. head violently. “At least, 1 didn’t But somehow he wasn't. He fin- think it was serious. The schemes ished out the day and in the eve- were wild: poisoned sandwich ning the load began to lighten. spreads and acid on the helicop- Accident was accident, wasn't it? ter, you know. Still, someone must There were occupational risks all have taken the matter seriously

chemists ran, especially those after all. . . . The madman! For working with inflammable com- what reason?” pounds. No one would question Davenport said, “From what the matter. you've said, I judge because the And if anyone did, how could dead man appropriated other peo- dicy possibly trace anything back ples’ work.” to Edmund Farley. He had only “So what,” cried Gorham. “It to go about his life as though noth- was the price he charged for what ing had happened. he did. He held the entire team Nothing? Good Lord, the credit together. He was its muscles and for Titan would now be his. He guts. Llewes was the one who would be a great man. dealt with Congress and got the The load lightened indeed and grants. He was the one who got that night he slept. permission to set up projects in space and send men to the Moon Part 2 or wherever. He talked spaceship lines and industrialists into doing Jim Gorham had faded a bit millions of dollars of work for us. in twenty-four hours. His yellow He organized Central Organic.” hair was stringy and only the light “Have you realized all this over- color of his stubble masked the night?” fact that he needed a shave badly. "Not really. I've always known "We all talked murder,” he said. this, but what could I do? I've H. Seton Davenport of the Ter- chickened out of space-travel, restrial Bureau of Investigation found excuses to avoid it. I was The Dust of Death 89

a vacuum-man, who never even other non-sparking alloys. Llewes visited the moon. The truth was, didn't smoke and would have fired

I was afraid, and even more afraid on the spot anyone who ap-

to have the otliers think I was proached within a hundred feet afraid.” He virtually spat self-con- of the room with a lighted ciga- tempt. rette.” "And now you want to find "What was the last thing he someone to punish?” said Daven- handled, then?” port. "You want to make up to "Hard to tell. The place was a the dead Llewes your crime shambles.” against the live one?” "I suppose it has been straight- "No! Leave psychiatry out of ened out by now, though.”

this. I tell you it is murder. It’s The chemist said with instant

got to be. You don’t know Llewes. eagerness, "No, it hasn’t. I took

The man was a monomaniac on care of that. I said we had to in- safety. No explosion could pos- vestigate the cause of the accident sibly have happened anywhere to prove it wasn’t neglect. You

near him unless it were carefully know, to avoid bad publicity. So arranged." the room hasn't been touched.” Davenport shrugged. "Wliat ex- Davenport nodded. "All right. ploded, Dr. Gorham?” Let’s take a look at it.” “It could have been almost any- In the blackened, dishevelled thing. He handled organic com- room, Davenport said, "What’s the pounds of all sorts: benzene, most dangerous piece of equip- ether, pyridine. All of them in- ment in the place?” flammable.” Gorham looked about. "The "I studied chemistry once, Dr. compressed oxygen tanks,” he said, Gorham, and none of those liq- pointing. uids are explosive at room tem- Davenport looked at the vari- perature as I remember. There has ously colored cylinders standing to be some sort of heat; a spark, against the wall cradled in a bind- a flame.” ing chain. Some leaned heavily "There was fire all right." against the chain, tipped by the "How did that happen?” force of the explosion. "I can’t imagine. There were Davenport said, “How about no burners in the place and no this one?” He toed a red cylinder matches. Electrical equipment of which lay flat on the ground in all sorts was heavily shielded. the middle of the room. It was Even little ordinary things like heavy and didn’t budge. clamps were specially manufac- "That one’s hydrogen,” said tured out of beryllium-copper or Gorham. ” ”

90 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION

“Hydrogen is explosive, isn’t Gorham nodded. "I suppose so.” it?” “Could you explode hydrogen “That's right —when heated." by smearing oil on the gauge?” Davenport said, ‘Then why do "Definitely not." you say Ae compressed oxygen is Davenport rubbed his chin. the most dangerous. Oxygen "Is there anytliing that would doesn’t explode, does it?” make hydrogen burst into flame "No. It doesn’t even burn, but outside of a spark of some sort?" it supports combustion, see. Things Gorham muttered, “A catalyst, burn in it." I suppose. Platinum black is the "So?” best. That’s powdered platinum.” “Well, look here.” A certain vi- Davenport looked astonished. vacity entered Gorham’s voice; he "Do you have such a thing?” was the scientist explaining some- “Of course. It’s expensive, but thing simple to the intelligent lay- there’s nothing better for catalyz- man. “Sometimes a person might ing hydrogenations.” He fell si- accidentally put some lubricant lent and stared down at the hy- on the valve before tightening it drogen cylinder for a long mo- onto the cylinder, to make a ment. "Platinum black,”— he finally tighter seal, you know. Or he whispered. “I wonder might get something inflammable Davenport said, “Platinum smeared on it by mistake. When black would make hydrogen burn, he opens the valve then, the oxy- then?” gen rushes out, and whatever goo "Oh, yes. It brings about the is on the valve explodes, wrench- combination of hydrogen and oxy- ing off the valve. Then the rest gen at room temperature. No heat of the oxygen blows out of the necessary. The explosion would be cylinder which would then take just as though it were caused by off like a miniature jet and go heat, just the same." through a wall; the heat of the Excitement was building up in explosion would fire other inflam- Gorham's voice and he fell to his mable liquids nearby." knees beside the hydrogen cylin- "Are the oxygen tanks in this der. He passed his finger over the place intact?” blackened tip. It —might be just “Yes, tliey are," soot and it might be Davenport kicked the hydro- He got to his feet, “Sir, that gen cylinder at his feet. "The must be the w'ay it was done. I’m gauge on this cylinder reads zero. going to get every speck of foreign I suppose that means it was in material off tliat nozzle and run a use at the time of explosion and spectographic analysis.” has emptied itself since then.” “How long will it take?” "

The Dust of Death 91

“Give me fifteen min- check every other cylinder in the utes. . . place. Everything else, too. If Gorham came back in twenty. there is a murderer, he might con- Davenport had made a meticu- ceivably have set other booby traps lous round of the burnt-out lab- in the place. It’s got to be oratory. He looked up. "Well?” checked.” — Gorham said, triumphantly. 'Til get started ” began Gor- "It’s there. Not much, but there." ham, eagerly. He held up a strip of photo- "Uh — not you,” said Daven- graphic negative against which port. "I’ll have a man from our there were short white parallel labs do it.” lines, irregularly spaced and of different degrees of brightness. The next morning, Gorham was "Mostly extraneous— material, but in Davenport’s office again. This you see those lines time, he had been summoned. Davenport peered closely. "Very Davenport said, “It’s murder, faint. Would you swear in court all right. A second cylinder had that platinum was present?” been tampered with.” “Yes,” said Gorham at once. "Yom see!" "Would any other chemist? If "An oxygen cylinder. There was this photo were shown a chemist platinum black inside the tip of hired by the defense, could he the nozzle. Quite a bit of it.” claim the lines were too faint to “Platinum black? On the oxy^ be certain evidence?” gen cylinder?” Gorham was silent. Davenport nodded. "Right. Davenport shrugged. Now why do you suppose that Tlie chemist cried, "But it is would be?” there. The stream of gas and the Gorham shook his head. "Oxy- explosion would have blown most gen won’t bum and nothing will of it out. You wouldn’t expect make it burn. Not even platinum much to be left. You see that, black.” don’t you?” “So the murderer must have put Davenport looked about, it on the oxygen cylinder by mis- thoughtfully. "I do. I admit take in the tension of the moment. there’s a reasonable chance this is Presumably he corrected himself murder. So now we look for more and tampered with the right cyl- and better evidence. Do you sup- inder, but meanwhile he left final pose this is the only cylinder that evidence that this is murder and might have been tampered with?” not accident.” "I don’t know.” "Yes. Now it’s only a matter of “Then the first thing we do Is finding the person.” 92 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION

The scar on Davenport’s cheek you are, so if the answ’er is any- crinkled alarmingly as he smiled. where it’s inside you. Could it ’‘Only, Dr. Gorham? How do we have been a mistake — could the do that? Our quarry, left no call- murderer have confused the oxy- ing card. There are a number of gen with the hydrogen?” people in the laboratories with Gorham shook his head at motive; a greater number with the once. “No. You know’ about the chemical knowledge required to colors. A green tank is oxygen; a commit the crime and with the red tank is hydrogen.” opportunity to do so. Is there any "What if he were color-blind?" way we can trace the platinum asked Davenport. black?" This time Gorham took more “No,” said Gorham hesitantly, time. Finally, he said, "No. Color- "Any of twenty people could have blind people don’t generally go in gotten into the special supply for chemistry. Detection of color room without trouble. . . . in chemical reactions is too Im- "What about alibis?" portant. And if anybody in this "For what time?” organization were color-blind, "For the night before." he’d have enough trouble with one Davenport leaned across his thing or another so that the rest desk. "When was the last time, of us would know about it.” previous to the fatal moment, tliat Davenport nodded. He fingered Dr. Uewes used that hydrogen the scar on his cheek absently. "All cylinder?" right. If the oxygen cylinder "I — I don’t know. He worked w’asn’t smeared by ignorance or alone. Very secretly. It was part accident, could it have been done of his way of making sure he had on purpose? Deliberately?" sole credit.” "I don’t understand you." "Yes, I know. We’ve been mak- "Perhaps the murderer had a ing our own inquiries. ... So logical plan in mind when he the platinum black might have smeared the oxygen cylinder, then been put on the cylinder a week changed his mind. Are there any before for all we know.” conditions where platinum black Gorham whispered disconso- would be dangerous in the pres- lately, "Then what do we do?" ence of oxygen? Any conditions Davenport said, "The only at all? You’re the chemist, Dr. point of attack, it seems to me, is Gorham.” the platinum black on the oxygen There was a puzzled frown on cylinder. It’s an irrational point the chemist’s face. He shook his and the explanation may hold the head. "No, none. There can’t be. — ’’ solution. But I’m no chemist and Unless The Dust of Death 93

"Unless?” phere. He is tlie only man here "Well, this is ridiculous, but if to have had experience in such you stuck the oxygen jet into a an atmosphere and it all makes container of hydrogen gas, plati- sense now. On Titan, a jet of oxy- num black on the gas cylinder gen will combine with the sur- could be dangerous. Naturally, rounding hydrogen if heated, or you’d need a big container to treated with platinum black. A jet make a satisfactory explosion.” of hydrogen won’t. The situation "Suppose,” said Davenport, is exactly the reverse of what it is "our murderer had counted on fill- here on Earth. It must have been ing the room with hydrogen and Farley. When he entered Llewes* then having the oxygen tank lab to arrange an explosion, he put turned on.” the platinum black on the oxygen, Gorham said, with a half-smile, out of recent habit. By the time he "But why bother with the— hydro- recalled that the situation was the gen atmosphere when ” The other way round on Earth, the half-smile vanished completely damage was done.” while a complete pallor took its Davenport nodded in grim place. He cried, “Farley! Edmund satisfaction. "That does it, I Farley!” think.” His hand reached out to "VVhat’s that?” an intercom and he said to the "Farley just returned from six unseen recipient at the other end, months on Titan,” said Gorham, "Send out a man to pick up Dr. in gadiering excitement. "Titan Edmund Farley at Central Or- has a hydrogen-methane atmos- ganic." HERO AT WORK

by JOHN JAKES

After whot he'd done to the Mor^port girl Boone was through on Mars—

There wos only one way out,

and it took a shocking weapon to find it . . .

At the narrow intersection, leered at tliein, waiting for an in- Martin Boone stumbled and fell. sult. Then he slumped and snif- He might as well have died then fled, watching them vanish in and there. He had the deep con- the shadows with their resent- viction that he could if he wanted ment of Earthmen sharp as tlie to; but he didn’t want to just . . . planes of their wide bony shoul- die. He wanted to kill himself, ders. We're fust too datun good and this time, by God, he thought for you, he thought, but his heart bitterly, it’s going to come out the wasn’t in it. way I plan it. Not tlie best way. Not the worst way. My way. MARTIN AND HEDDA BOONE His head hung buzzing, for Tehran Antiques long seconds, and in a drunken all-fours animal posture he stared the sign read. Boone stood weav- at the heat-cracked, dust-stuffed ing under it and glared at his dis- cobbles. Finally he rose and got torted image in the glass. Hedda, himself around the corner into one of the things he had planned the Street of the Terran Mer- and planned for, and now look. chants. He slid with his back The antique shop, fighting him along a wall, choking and shiv- every hour of every day, never in ering; then, driven blindly by any detail being what he had some instinctive homing sense, he wanted it to be. The planet it- t\visted away from the wall and self, for that matter, the lousy arid staggered down the center of the dustbowl of a planet, hadn’t given narrow, sour little street. him what he wanted, and had Two silent natives hurried taken what he couldn’t afford. past, like animated bluestone car- He cursed into the dr>' wind, vings. Boone swung around and threw back his head and stared .

Hero at Work 95 bleakly up to the windows above lot for that shotgun, sure he’d the antique shop. "Well, this have the customers bidding lime,” he promised his twisted against each other for such a col- hvin in the glass, "this time lector's piece . . . quite over-

I'll . . looking that in these times such He had to fumble for the open- an instrument of blood-letting ing to the stairway, and he almost and flesh-tearing was not attrac- fell once halfway up. At the top tive. These were the days of sani- he put his head up, squared his tary, incisive death from the silent shoulders, and defiantly kicked needles of a projector no larger the door open like a man. than a pencil. And so tlie shot- Hedda was waiting for him in gun had attracted only Martian in the dim apartment, crouched dust and had lain inactive with like a lard billiken under the the rest of his plans, until now, smoky glow of a kriswood lamp. when its two black muzzles, like Her ridiculous yellow hair was eyes, stared at Boone’s stomach dirty and her robe was too short, Hedda spoke very softly, all the and one eye was a circle and one months of festering sickness which a slit as she took in her husband, had grown between them im- the filtliy white suit, the bruise on plicit in every syllable. She said, his cheek. Then her nostrils “I’m going to kill you, Mart.” writhed. For the Martian girl? he was Boone knew she smelt the going to cry. But Hedda, Hedda Martian girl. — she wouldn't have met But he Carefully he walked to the never got the chance to say it, be- window and stood looking down cause his wife, his soft-lard tired- on the cobblestones, trying to fo- eyes wife pulled the triggers, and cus his eyes. He heard behind him the eyes staring at Boone's stom- the savage decisive stabbing of her ach flashed red, one after the cigarette in the tray, and other other. movements, and oh God, he Indistinctly Boone heard thun- thought, she knows, she knows; der, like the roar of the old and before I can find my own freight rockets. The thunder spun clean way out I have to argue. him around with hurt lashing at He sighed and turned around, his left ribs. He doubled over and and self-pity fled with the alco- capered forward in pain, crashed hol. A dry shriek started in his against the window and dove throat, and stayed there stifled by through it. fear. There was a time of infinite re- Hedda Boone held a shotgun lief for him, then, when with a in her hands. Boone had paid a kind of joy he knew he could die 96 VENTURK SCIENCE FICTION now and be finished with all this; hood his eyes. He beat it back and then another time of slow re- and down, and went on crawling, flection and growing fury, when grunting and slobbering with ef- he realized that again he had not fort. Hedda, he thought, damn been permitted to follow through. you, Hedda. I have to live to get At the intersection he hadn’t you. wanted to die, because he wanted A grey rat ran chittering down to kill himself. By the same to- the alley. He wormed after it, ken, he didn’t want to be mur- sobbing. dered. ]ust let me do it my way once, huh? he whimpered child- Sometime after dawn he ishly to tlie spangled blackness scratched at a grimy subsurface around him. And then there was door and hung on to conscious- a time of gathering, of focussing, ness until he felt hands under his until all things in the world came armpits, lifting. Gratefully, then, down to an incandescent demand, he accepted the tide of black and a total anger. If ever he had in let himself drown a little. him an atom of pity, of sympathy When next he saw anything, it for what Hedda had gone through, Avas the ragged back of a tall man it disappeared now. If ever it had who was washing his hands in an been in him to blame himself, inch of water in a bowl. Boone shame himself— even see himself, felt luxuriously comfortable. His it was gone. For by her act, Hedda side no longer hurt; the constric- had at last given him something tion of bandages was comforting, to hate, something to destroy, a and the heap of dusty sacking on purpose of purposes, symbol of which he lay was like clouds. everytliing he had ever done, half "Stickney . . done, not done in all his miser- The tall man turned around, able years. wiping his hands on an aqua-sav- These reflections completed, he er. He dropped it into the chipped struck the cobblestones with a reclaiming unit and grunted. crunch; and this was how he “You witli us again, Boone?” learned that time can be com- “Is it bad?” pressed. “It was. It might’ve been. It Much more dead than alive, isn’t,” said Stickney. “What did more unconscious than not, he be- that to you? Never saw anything gan to crawl into the blackest al- like it.” Stickney’s eyes shone ley shadows. Again and again the green with narcotics, which, al- other blackness rose about him, though they had robbed him of squeezing away breath and trying his practice, had not quite de- to plug throat and nostrils and stroyed the skill of his hands. Hero at Work 97

“Stickney, is the teleportation bearded Terrans thronged the house still in existence?” square. Boone stood in the crowd “I'd say somebody dropped you for long minutes, breathing and on the comb-dunes," said Stick- hating.* He thought of the Mar- ney, “except that I dug out eight- tian girl and put her swiftly out .een pieces of lead.” of his mind. First, Hedda. Boone sat up and grunted. “It He went to a phone cluster and was a shotgun, damn you,” dialed the number. No one an- Boone spat. “Now what about the swered it, but Boone simply let it teleportation house?" ring. He had no alternative to “It’s illegal.” this, and wanted none. If he “Stickney, so help me, if reached an obstacle, he would .” you . . Slowly understanding simply press against it until it

came, and he sighed and palmed went away or he died . . . and open his money-pouch. Watching after a while someone answered. Stickney’s greedy eyes, he realized Boone said, “A man named clearly that if die pouch had re- Stickney gave me this number.” sponded to Stickney’s palm-pat- “Stickney?” The voice was re- terns, he would probably be dead mote. "Describe him in detail, by now. “Here,” he growled. please.” Stickney pocketed the notes. Boone did so. "What do you want to know for?” “Ah, certainly. We cannot be “None of your business.” too careful. My name is Rakejian. "All right.” Stickney shrugged I suppose you wish a job. Eighty

and seemed to close the subject solars a week. It is . . . rigorous. with an audible snap. If Boone Were you ever a soldier?”

had had room for a new hate in “It happens that I was,” said

him, it might have started here. Boone, who had been with Cruces Instead he sighed and got his mon- at Black Hollow when they opened ey out again. Reluctantly he up Venus. “But I wasn’t planning skinned off one of the few notes to go myself. Someone else.” left and gave it to Stickney, who "Ah? Perhaps you’d better have said immediately, “You go to a this man call himself.” telephone. Call Marsport 8-7734. “It isn’t a man.” Thai's all." “Now you interest me very Boone smiled thinly, rose, much. Three hundred and twenty climbed into his soiled white coat solars, outright. All right?” and left the place. He reached a Boone had not thought about plaza where mobiles moved like the money. He truly had not. In-

shiny bugs. Venusians, blue Mar- jecting it into the conversation tians with silent, servile faces, confused him for a moment and 98 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION he was silent. Rakejian appar- Hedda Boone clutched her hus- ently misunderstood his silence, band’s arm. "Oooh, Mart, my for he explained, "We compute it head, my poor sick head.” With a at four weeks .of a soldier’s pay. wet nuzzling of her lips, she Women seldom last any longer leaned against him. Flick-flick-flick than that out there, so we have went the pattern of white lights some basis for computation. I’ll through the cab’s interior. Warm make it three fifty, sight unseen. lips moistened his cheek. Hedda’s All right?" bubbling, silly monologue went on

"Where can I meet you?” as Boone crooked a wooden arm "Depends on what time.” about her waist and attempted to Boone thought rapidly. "To- keep from retching audibly. Her night. After dark. Say around heavy body quivered as she raised eleven.” one perfumed hand to touch his “Admirable. Be at 81 Street of cheek. Hitler and Napoleon. Make your- "So many drinks. Mart. So self known to the man with the many lovely drinks, ray sweet yellow face. And— bring the Mart.”

. . . ah . . . material." He grinned vapidly in the hot "See you,” said Boone, and Bickering dark. "We’ll have din- hung up. Quickly, he dialed ner soon, Hedda. This place I’m again. A sourness rose in his taking you to, it’s — wonderful. throat as he forced out the words: Genuine animal flesh, cooked over "Hedda? Mart. Please listen, coals.” Boone’s eyes flicked ahead. please. Could I see you later to- He sucked in breath as the mobile day? Look, I’m all right. Yes, I’m shot into the Street of Hitler and sorry. Please, Hedda. Yes, I got Napoleon. "Tonight we’re going someone to bandage it. No, it’s to be a real married couple, not bad. Oh, Hedda, I must’ve sweet.” been out of my mind, after all She murmured childish sylla- .” you . . He bent forward near bles. "Eighty-one,” said the driver. the mouthpiece, crooning, inject- The mobile hissed to a stop. ing into his words ever)’ possible Boone handed his wife out. She note of craven remorse. The con- staggered, and he held her up. He versation was extremely long, and paid off the driver and the ma- at its end, Boone was chilly with chine hissed away. sweat. Yet somehow he had suc- This section of Marsport was ceeded. Death-mask lines etched deserted, ancient. The house was his face as he left the cluster and large, with heavy double doors. It hailed a mobile cab for the Street was a Terran house, built in the of the Terran Merchants. claiming days of the early seven- Hero at Work 99 ties to remind someone who did caught her up like a dropped gar- not count his money of some ex- ment, for all her weight, and actly similar house in Terre Haute w'hisked her through the double or Bucyrus or Kankakee. The arch- doors. They closed. Martin Boone itecture was a jumble. Stone stood on the dark steps numbly, lions flanked the wide steps. Ga- not frightened, not surprised, not bles like crooked shoulders slanted anything at all, until he felt a up against the glareyellowcd touch at his elbow’. He turned his night sky. head slowly. Lounging against the balus- “Three fifty,” said Mr. Rake- trade behind a stone lion was a jian. Boone looked dowm at the man in an old-fashioned coat. He litde roll of bills. He took it and lit a match and raised it to his put it away. Rakejian said, “Hap- cigar, and the flickering light re- py to deal w’ith you any time. VVe vealed a bland, heavy-lidded face, never get enough females. The a yellow face — not the brown- pit miners on Titan will be very yellow of a Terran oriental, but happy tonight.” the clear greenish yellow of jaun- Boone did not answer, and dice. w'hen he walked away he did not “Restaurant?’' Hedda burbled. look back. He found a cab and

“This doesn’t look . . got in, thinking of the Martian “Shh. You’ll see. It’s 'way dif- girl. He gave the address to the ferent from anything else. Just driver, and in thirty seconds you wait.” He urged her up the roared, “Can't you hurry?” Be- steps. As he passed tlie yellow- neath his trousers his thigjis were faced man, he met his eyes and running with sweat. Far in the murmured, “Mr. Rakejian?” back of his mind something nib- The man nodded very slightly. bled at him, something he had Boone made an equally slight mo- meant to do and hadn’t carried tion of his head to indicate Hed- out. No matter; he was alive da. The man blew out his match, again, unattached, unburdened. and instantly two heavy-shoul- The Martian girl had calmly cited dered shadows appeared, one at ancient laws to him: that a man the top, one at the bottom of the must be these things, and a good steps. man too, before she may go with “Marty, Marty, I love you him. Well, he was all these things .” so . . crooned Hedda, and and good enough for her, the blue tlien the edge of a calloused palm bitch. “Hurry up, damn you!” caught her on tlie nape of the neck and she went down without Nightmare, nightmare. . . . a sound. The two dark-clad thugs Was it really asking such a hell lOU VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION

of a lot of life? he demanded her to take what she wouldn’t of- whimperingly. Just to want some- fer. And even then she had been thing, and tlicn get it — just that. kind, careful of him, lithely twist- And he’d never wanted much. ing behind him and locking his Other people wanted to rule plan- forearms together in a thin blue ets, buy castles, own, control, com- vise, whispering cold cautions in- mand. All he'd wanted was a nice to his ear. He must not^ he must little business and— and now, not; did he not know the un- when everything else was gone, speakable cruelties the Martians the Martian girl. worked on anyone, even their own And she, so blue and cool, so kind, who attacked women? And polite to him, explaining about how much worse it would be for a the ancient laws, and how freely Terran, with his more sensitive tliey permitted such a union as he nervous system? wanted; but money and freedom He was past caring, and after

were not enough by themselves, that it was no conquest, for she and desire, even her desire, wasn’t would not fight him. He had not enough. He had to be a good even the satisfaction of forcing man. What is a good man? Many her. Afterward, he realized fully things, any one of many kinds of what he had done, and the im- things. Had he done anything for placable, inescapable torture he Mars? for example. Or for Earth, had loosed upon himself. He had or Earth’s people or interests? run away sobbing, while she lay Had he had children, perhaps? and looked at him disdainfully. That was a gift to his kind. Had Would she tell the men now, or he ever given anything to life? later, or tomorrow? Would she Slender, blue, fine cold hair, wait months? He would never narcotic lips and politeness, talk- know until the blue shadows ing of ancient moralities while he closed on him one day (today?) sat with a drink in his fist and and he disappeared into some dus- his glands fairly squirting witliin ty desert gopher-hole where the him. At first he had tried to fol- Martians, over months, would low her words, but soon, very flick and flick away through tiny soon, that became impossible, and inexpressible torments. all he could do was to watch the A way out, a way out . . . movements of her lips and head Rakejian! and the exquisite gestures of her He slid through alleys like tlie slender hands. That couldn’t last grey rats infesting Marsport, un- long, and it hadn’t. He had ex- til he found the back of a phone ploded, hurled his drink, roared cluster at the corner of one of like a wounded animal, leapt on them. He waited in the shadows ” ”

Hero at Work 101 until there was no one, Tenran or "You don't understand!" Boone Martian, in sight, scuttled inside cried. 'Tm in trouble with the na- and slammed the door control. tives!” Private at last, he fumbled out "A girl?" coins and dialed Marsport Boone moaned in terror. Rake- 8-7734, all the while feeling his jian said, "You damn fool. Don’t heart beat like a count-down be- mix me up in anything like that.” fore blast-oif, each pulsation He sounded shocked — he, dealer

marking off one less left to him. in flesh . . . procurer, drug- Through the louvres in the clus- pusher, slave-trader—he was ter wall, he could see blue Mar- shocked. He hung up. tians in their steady pacing, go- Boone screamed hoarsely and ing about their business two and dialed back. He got no an-

mo; and was their business Mar- swer. . . . tin Boone by now? He went mad then, rat-mad, Rakejian answered immediate- shrewd-mad, and in an odd way, ly- superhuman as well. He flogged Boone identified himself. “I his weary body and lacerated want a job," he gabbled into the lungs into carrying him all the phone. 'Toil said eighty solars a way back to the Street of the Ter- week, that’s fine with me. Any- ran Merchants. where you say, but I W'ant to He burst into his deserted shop leave right away.” and tore into his own stock. He ‘Tm very sorry, Mr. Boone. I got an ugly little early 21st cen- can do nothing for you. Not for tury* blued-steel automatic and a a while.—Certain mechanical dif- half-dozen of the fourteen-charge ficulties magazines to fit. He fired four "Is it the money? Forget it. Is test shots at random, to see if the

it the job? I don’t care what or old charges were still operable,

where, Rakejian; don’t you under- and it was Uiis that first attracted stand? Titan, Ganymede, I don’t attention. Then he went out at a care. Mining, murdering, any- dead run, making no attempt to thing you got, I want, long’s it’s conceal himself. He ran right up off Mars.” the middle of the main streets, "You’re talking too much!” half across Marsport, brandishing rapped Rakejian. "Calm down. 1 his weapon in one hand and a full couldn’t do anything today if I magazine in the other, moaning wanted to, and now I doubt if 1 for breath, eyes red and glazed. want to. I told you there are me- People of three planets faded chanical difficulties, and— that’s away ahead of him and followed what I meant. Call me in after. When he came to the ” :

102 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION Street of Napoleon and Hitler, it you, it’s not —working! Can't you was like the arrival of the mobs wait for just a at the Bastille, with this differ- Boone shot him four times, and ence: the mob had tlie numbers, then turned his gun on the tech- but he alone had the hatred. nicians. "You send me out, hear?” At number 81 he sprang up the he barked, and ran and dove into steps. The doors opened and three the shimmering mist which hung heavy-set Terrans boiled out, two in the transmitter ring. with needle pencils. Five needles Something like a gigantic pad- were projected, and all missed. ded sledge-hammer hit him be- The automatic yammered, and the tween the eyes, and his conscious- three guards fell screaming. ness clicked out. Boone ran through a deserted entry room and shot another guard On River Island in tlie City of just inside the main hall. Here Marsport stands a massive stone perhaps forty men cowered and building blazoned with massive froze — dirty, ragged, scarred, rot- stone letters : PSYCHO. lunged, shifty, the very dregs of In a cell, a man in white spoke all in humanity that is rotten and softly to Martin Boone. beaten — Rakejian’s recruits, ready "Don’t you remember? don’t to be shipped out to the moons of you remember?” Jupiter, to the asteroids, to Ve- He did and he didn’t. Men in nus ... to whatever hidden, white had asked him this, and festering spot in the cosmos where asked him, time and again, in- they might be needed and need sistently, for . . . for a long never be traced to. And here too time. After they asked him, they was Rakejian himself, and his would tell him a story, and tixat traitor Martian technicians. was the part he never could re- Boone ran to Rakejian, bashed member. the yellow hand he saw emerging Here it came again with a needle projector, and sank "You’re a hero, Martin. Don’t the cold muzzle between Rake- you want to live, for that? Three jian’s ribs. “Get me out,” he said worlds are waiting for you to come in a tattered, rasping, voice which out, so they can tell you w’hat they was no longer human. “Put me think of a man like you. through that thing or by God HI "Single-handedly you wiped blow your liver out." out the most vicious racket exist- "Boone, you fool, you don’t ing today. Because of you the tele- know what you’re doing!” said porter is in the hands of the gov- Rakejian, his face hideous as it ernment where it belongs, and paled under the yellow. "I told you’ve changed the face of the Hero at Work 103 universe, opening up new fron- ing but love for you. She will nev- tiers, obsoleting space-ships. Be- er leave you, and tliree planets cause of you the illegal mines are are ready to see to it that you and dosed, their slaves freed. she never arc separated again. “But more than that, you've “You have no idea how much given us a new symbol for real you mean to us now, Martin; you devotion and sacrifice. The rescue will have no idea until you get up of your wife from her kidnappers and come out and accept all that Ls a legend even now, and will the grateful planets arc ready to make your name immortal. You give you. Just to give you an idea, saved her from something worse, there's a Martian girl waiting for even, than the worst they could you, just waiting — knowing of have done to her, because she your love for Hedda, knowing how wa.s trapped in . . . well, say impossible it all is, but still, wait- trapped in a kind of time which ing just for you. And you know isn’t the time we know. how highly they prize civic duty. "The teleport field works almost “Won’t you see Hedda now?’’ all the time. When it doesn’t, some Martin would scream tlien, try- poor soul gets lost in a twist of the ing to pull his arms out of the continuum for all eternity. It gentle immovable sleeves. probably kills, but it might not. It “Won’t you see the Martian didn't kill Hedda. From what we girl, even?’’ can gather, it froze her as she was, He would scream some more. loving you with all her heart, for “Martin, Martin, if you would twelve hours of time as we know just tell us —why do you keep it. But in that place where she tr)ing to kill yourself?” was, the twelve hours rvere count- And Martin Boone would try less years —years in v^hich she did to explain tliat he'd planned to not age nor think nor change her kill himself, he’d planned it, and mood. by God tliis time something was “And in a way tliat's your great- going to come out the way he est reward; for when you freed planned it; but that never seemed her by flinging your own body in- to make any sense to them, and at to the choked teleport field, you last the laws of time would begin freed the most devoted human be- to perish again for him and he’d ing, I tliink, who ever lived. It sink away and forget, forget, for- was if she had soaked and mari- get, until the next time they told nated for half a century in noth- him the story. . . .

Don’t miss VENTURE’S sister magazine ... Buy FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION today! ”

Oh father of mine

by CHARLES BEAUMONT

Mr. PoUet suffered from one fixation . , . He had to forestall that fileam in his father's eye!

To MR. POLLET, TIME WAS A “Perhaps it is wishful thinking liighway: a vast, gleaming, empty on my part,” one beleaguered highway, waiting to be traveled. physicist had replied, “but I am "It has road blocks, to be sure,” he of the notion that you would van- would say, “and there are alto- ish instantly.” getlier too many dangerous curves, Among other shortcomings, much too sharp for even the min- however, Mr. Pollet had no ap- imum si>ced. Still, it’s not un- preciation for subtlety. “Oh?" likely that a really clever man he’d said, tapping his lean nose; will get through someday." “you think so? I wonder. It‘s an Of course, Mr. Pollet hoped to interesting theory, but somehow' l>e tliat man. To this end he had it —doesn’t seem possible. And devoted 37 of his 53 years, un- yet swervingly, with monomaniacal Indeed, it was for no other faith. Friends he had none . . . purpose than to solve tliis peren- acquaintances, few. His wife was nial riddle that he labored on his afraid of him. And in the scien- Time Machine. History certainly tific clubs he was persona non did not intrigue him, nor wus he grata, for when he was not mum- concerned with the fame that bling jiggery-pokery about the would surely come to the first “space-lime continuum” and "the man to pierce the time barrier. pretzel of the Past," lie was nudg- The Future? It was a bore. ing people witli his bony elbow Mr. Pollet wanted little. Only and asking them his famous, and the answer to the question. perpetually wearisome, question: What would happen ? “Well, now', what about you, what is your opinion? If I were It was a late summer evening to go back in Time and kill my when the lean man wltli the own fatlier — before my concep- sallow cheeks and wispy black tion —what would happen?’' hair stepped, for the eight-hun- i04 !

Father, Dear Father 105 dred-and-tliirteenth time, into the He changed into proper cloth- large metal cylinder in his lab- ing, went back downstairs, and oratory basement, turned a entered the cylinder. He made a switch, waited, and, also for the careful adjustment of the dials, eight-hundred-and-thirteenth time, then pulled the main lever. There stepped out. Another failure, Mr. was a whirring of gears. Things Pollet mused. It was enough to dis- fizzed. The machine bucked, courage a saint. smoked, clanged, whistled. Mr. He was a man not normally PoUet felt dizzy. Blackness given to emotional excess, yet reached for him. He fought it. now he found himself yielding to Things settled down again. a thoroughly wild impulse. He He stepped out of the cylinder. cursed loudly but not well, picked The landscape was immedi- up a heavy crescent wrench and ately familiar to him: it was, threw it at the Time Machine. without doubt, tlie Ohio valley re- A bank of lights came on. The gion, the playground of his youth. metal cylinder began to whine, But Mr. PoUet's mission was not softly. to be delayed by sentiment. He Mr. Pollet stared. Was it pos- looked about; then, certain that sible? He advanced. Yes, there he was unobserved, rolled tlic was no denying it — the random Time Machine over to a clump of impact of the wrench had accom- trees and locked it securely. plished what he had failed a He began to walk across tlie thousand times to accomplish with field of alfalfa, and soon the town reason. The delicate balance was came into view, and he was con- at last achieved — the Time Ma- fident that his calculations had chine was ready to go been correct. He was in Middle- Mr. Pollet beamed. ton. Now, his plan must be carried But what about the date? He out methodically. He mustn’t take would have to check that. It any chances whatever. would not do to kill Dad after

He ran upstairs, pushed his he, Pollet, Jr., had been con- wife aside and got a faded pho- ceived: for then, what would be tograph from tlie bedroom trunk. accomplished? Hand-tinted, it pictured a clear- He withdrew the photograpii eyed, square-jawed, heavy-set, one more time. Pollet, Sr., was a middle-aged man with a fierce stern-looking fellow. He remem- shock of red hair. bered him dimly as a strict disci- “Dad," Mr. Pollet said rever- plinarian, at all times cold and ently, pocketing the snapshot and distant and prey to a brooding loading a blue-steel .38 revolver. disposition — but he could remem- ”

106 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION her no more about his father, and where he turned right and walked nothing specific. After all, Pollet, three blocks more. At a large yel- Sr., had passed away in 1922. low house on tlie corner, he

And Vollet, Jr., was only five stopped. . . . Memories came years old then. and went.

It is almost ironic, Mr. Pollet He started up the patli. Never thought, as he jogged along, that had he been so full of excitement, Dad^ shall see his son grown to never so nervous. He rapped on manhood, only to be slaughtered the door. by him. . . . It was opened presently by a Having been hatched scrawny clear-eyed, square-jawed, heavy- and grown up the same, Mr. Pol- set, middle-aged man with a fierce let had never enjoyed an abun- shock of red hair. “Yes?” he said. dance of stamina. He slowed to a "Mr. James Agnew Pollet?” walk. At the edge of town he “That’s right,” the man said. stopped, checked tlie action of his Pollet, Jr., caught a glimpse of a revolver to be sure it would not slight, tall, exceedingly fair and misfire, and felt his heart beat- moderately attractive woman ing fast. He smiled wanly. Then seated in the living-room. It was he entered the main street of his mother. He experienced a Middleton, Ohio. pang. The community was abusde. “Are you selling sometiiing?” Children played with hoops and James Agnew Pollet asked, marbles and men sat on porches brusquely. and women shopped. Some looked “Not exactly,” Mr. Pollet, Jr., curiously at Mr. Pollet, and one, said, and plucked out —the .38. a lanky, dark-haired fellow, went “What’s the meaning so far as to stare; but diis was The revolver roared, once. A only because a stranger had come small neat hole appeared in James to town, doubtless. Agnew Pollet’s forehead. He Mr. Pollet nodded genially and gasped, toppled backwards and made his way down the main lay still. artery. At a drug store he paused. There was a scream from the Inside the window was a calen- living-room. dar. It read: February 19, 1916. Mr. Pollet pocketed the gun, Mr. Pollet frowned sliglidy. whirled, and ran down the street. He was cutting it close, quite As he ran, he tried to absorb the close. But he was still early. In fact that, so far, nothing had fact, he could not now be even a happened to him. gleam in his father’s eye. People turned to stare. Mr. He walked to Elm Avenue, Pollet saw the same man who had ”

Father, Dear Father 107 gazed so intently at him before, He reached out and grasped a only now the man was open- crowbar and brought the heavy mouthed. There was something iron down upon the banks of familiar about him . . . delicate instruments, smashing Mr. PoUet went leaping and them and the years that went into Iwunding across tlie field, panting their making into a million bright heavily. Cars could not follow pieces. “Impossible!" he raged. him: tliey were too primitive. "Something should have hap- Men could, but tliey were still re- pened!” acting to shock. He had time. He Mrs. Pollet watched him de- ran to the trees, got tlie key in stroy the machine. When he had the lock, and entered the cylin- quite finished, she inquired: “Are der. He slammed the door. He you sure it was your father?” pulled the return lever. . . . Mr. Pollet froze, the crowbar raised high. He blinked and low- After a minute, he opened the ered his ann. “What do you door again and stepped into his mean?” he asked softly. basement laboratory. His wife "Nothing,” his wife said, “ex- was waiting. She looked confused cept that I never did think you and frightened. looked much like that— picture. “Did you — go through with It’s very old, but even so it?" she asked. “Be quiet,” Mr. Pollet com- Mr. Pollet nodded, glumly. manded. “I must think.” The gun, lie saw, was still hot He thought. from its recent firing. "I killed He thought of the undeniable liim,” he said. “Saw him die.” truth of Mrs. Pellet's observation “Shame!" Mrs. Pollet declared, —of the myriad dissimilarities paling. “You may not have actu- between himself and the man in ally known liim well, and per- the photograph. haps it’s true he was cruel to you Especially he thought of tlie as a child — but to murder your lanky, sallow-cheeked, dark-haired own father! That is unkind.” man in Middleton, who had

"Nonsense,” Mr. Pollet stared so intently. . . . snapped. “It was an impersonal Mr. Pollet dropped the crow- gesture: purely scientific. I killed bar. He looked at tlie wreckage him and—nothing happened. of tlie machine he would never Absolutely nothing.” He stamped be able to rebuild. his foot and angrily brushed the “Well, I'm a son of a bitch,” dark hair out of his eyes. “Do you he said. understand?" he bellowed, furi- And, in a manner of speaking, ously. "Nothing happenedr so he was. THE GIRL HAD GUTS

When the alien appeared

death came too . . . and horror • . • and fear that was more terrible

than the alien itself . . .

The cabby wouldn't take but as I said . . . oh, who can the fare (“Me take a nickel from say a thing like that and make Captain Gargan? Not in this any sense? I was glad to see my life!’’) and tlie doorman wel- wife, and that was it. comed me so warmly I almost for- She finally got me quieted gave Sue for moving into a place down and my uniform jaclcet and that had a doorman. And then shoes off and a dish of ale in my the elevator and then Sue. You fist, and there I lay in the relaxer have to be away a long 'time, a looking at her just the way I used long way, to miss someone like to when I could come home from that, and me, I'd been farther the base every night, just die way away than anyone ought to be, I’d dreamed every off-dutv min- for too long plus six weeks. I ute since we blasted off ail those kissed her and squeezed her until months ago. Special message to she yelled for mercy, and when I anyone who’s never been off got to where I realized she was Earth: Look around you. Take a yelling W’e were clear back to the good long look around. You’re in terrace, tlie whole length of the the best place there is. A fine apartment away from the door. place. I guess I was sort of enthusiastic, I said as much to Sue, and she 108 The Girl Had Guts 109 laughed and said, **Even the last “I brought the Demon Lover six weeks?” and I said, “I don't back safe and sound,” I kidded. want to insult you, baby, but yes: She colored up. “Don’t talk like even those six weeks in lousy that.” The Demon Lover was my quarantine at the lousy base hos- Second, name of Purcell. Purcell pital were good, compared to be- was one of those guys who just ing any place else. But it was the has to go around making like a longest six weeks 1 ever spent; bull moose in fiy-time, bellowing ril give you that.” I pulled her at the moon and banging his ant- down on top of me and kissed her lers against the rocks. He’d been again. “It was longer than twice to the house a couple or three the rest of the trip.” times and said things about Sue She struggled loose and patted that were so appreciative that I me on the head the way I don’t had to tell him to knock it off or like. "Was it so bad really?” he’d collect a punch in the mouth. “It was bad. It was lonesome Sue had liked him, though; well, and dangerous and— and disgust- Sue was always that way, always ing, I guess is the best word for going a bit out of her way to get it.” upwind of an animal like that. “You mean the plague." And I guess I'm one of ’em ray- I snorted. “It wasn’t a plague.” self; anjTvay, it was me she mar-

“Well, I wouldn’t know,” she ried. I said, “I’m afraid ol’ Pur- said. “Just rumors. That thing of cell’s either a blow-hard or he was you recalling the crew after twelve just out of character when we hours of liberty, for six weeks of rounded up the crew and brought quarantine . . ’em all back. We found ’em in “Yeah, I guess that would start honky-tonks and strip joints; we rumors.” I closed my eyes and found ’em in the buzzoms of their lauglied grimly. “Let ’em rumor. families behaving like normal No one could dream up anything family men do after a long trip; uglier than tl»e truth. Give me an- but Purcell, we found him at the " other bucket of suds.” King George Hotel — I empha-

She did, and I kissed her hand sized with a forefinger — “alone ns she passed it over. She took the by himself and fast asleep, where hand right away and I laughed at he tells us he went as soon as he her. “Scared of me or something?” got earthside. Said he wanted a

“Oh Lord no. Just . . . want- soak in a hot tub and 24 hours ing to catch up. So much you’ve sleep in a real 1-G bed with done, millions of miles, montlis sheets. How’s that for a sailor and months . . . and all 1 know ashore on his first leave?” is you're back, and nothing else.” She'd gotten up to get me more no VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION ale. “I haven’t finished this one news we’d be taking back was go- yet!” I said. ing to stop the colonists in their She said oh and sat down tracks. again. ‘‘You were going to tell me Clement was the only one I’d about tlie trip.” known personally. Head of the “I was? Oh, all right, I was. station, physicist and ecologist But listen carefully, because this both, and tops both ways, and he is one trip I'm going to forget as was one of the dead. Joe and fast as 1 can, and I’m not going to Katherine Flent were dead. Amy do it again, even in my head.” Segal, tlie recorder — one of the best in Pioneer Service —was sick I don’t have to tell you about in a way I’ll go into in a minute, blastoff— that it’s more like drift- and Glenda Spooner, the plant off these days, since all long hops biologist, was—well, call it with- start from Outer Orbit satellites, drawn. Retreated. Something had out past the Moon — or about the scared her so badly that she could flicker-field by which we hop only sit with her arms folded and faster than light, get dizzier than her legs crossed and her eyes wide a five-year-old on a drug store open, rocking and watching. stool, and develop more morning- Anyone gets to striking hero sickness than Mom. That I've told medals ought to make a platter- you before. sized one for Amy Segal. Like I So I'll start with planetfall on said, she was sick. Her body tem- MuUygantz II, Terra’s best bet to perature was wildly erratic, going date for a colonial planet, five- from 102 all the way down to 96 nines Earth normal (that is, and back up again. She was just .99999) and just about as hand- this side of breakdown and must some a rock as ever circled a sun. have been like that for weeks, VVe hung the blister in stable or- slipping across the line for min- bit and Purcell and I dropped utes at a time, hauling herself down in a superscout with sup- back for a moment or two, then plies and equipment for the eco- sliding across again. But she knew logical survey station. We ex- Glenda was helpless, though phys- pected to find things humming ically in perfect shape, and she tliere, five busy people and a sheaf knew that even automatic ma- of completed reports, and we chinery has to be watched. She hoped we’d be the ones to take not only dragged herself around back the news that the next ship keeping ink in the recording pens would be the colony ship. We and new charts when the scismo’s found tliree dead and two sick, and hygro's and airsonde record- and knew right away that the ers needed them, but she kept Ths Girl Had Guts 111

Glenda fed; more tiian that, she normal sleep command, and just fed herself. put her to bed with it. We bed- She fed herself close to fifteen ded Amy down too, though she thousand calories a day. And she got a bit hysterical until we could was forty pounds underweight. make her understand through She was the weirdest sight you that fog of delirium that one of ever saw, her face full like a fat us would stand by every minute person's but her abdomen, from with prcmasticatcd rations. Once the lower ribs to the pubes, col- she understood that she slept like lapsed almost against her spine. a corpse, but such a corpse you You'd never have believed an or- never want to see, lying there ganism could require so much eating. food — not, that is, until you saw It was a lot of work all at her cat. She’d rigged up a chopper once, and when we had it done out of the lab equipment because Purcell wiped his face and said, she actually couldn't wait to chew "Five-nines Earth normal, hah. her food. She just dumped every- No malignant virus or bacterium. thing and anything edible into No toxic plants or fungi. Come to that gadget and propped her chin Mullygantz II, land of happiness on the edge of the table by the and health." outlet, and packed that garbage “Nobody’s used that big fat into her open mouth with both MO,” I reminded him. 'The re- hands. If she could have slept it ports only say there’s nothing bad would have been easier but hun- here that we know about or can ger would wake her after twenty test for. My God, the best brains minutes or so and back she’d go, in the world used to kill AB pa- chop and cram, guzzle and swill. tients by transfusing tv|>e O If Glenda had been able to help blood. Heaven help us tlie day we — but there she was, she did it think we know everything that all herself, and when we got the goes on in the universe.” whole story straight we found We didn’t get the whole story she’d been at it for nearly three then; rather, it was all there but weeks. In another tliree weeks not in a comprehensible order. they’d have been dose to the end The key to it all was Amy Segal's of their stores, enough for five personal log, which she called a people for anj’way another cou- "diar>’”, and kept in hentracks ple of months. called shorthand, which took three We had a iwrtable hypno in historians and a philologist a the first-aid kit on the scout, and week to decode after we returned we slapiKxl it to Glenda Spooner to Earth. It was the diary that with a reassurance tape and a fleshed the thing out for us, told 12 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION

US about these people and their ences supplemented each other so guts and how they exploded all did their egoes. One of Amy's over each other. So I’ll tell it, not early "diaiy” entries says they knew the way we got it, but the way it each other so well they were one happened. step away from telepathy; they’d To begin with it was a good work side by side for hours swap- team. Clement was a good head, ping information with grunts and one of those relaxed guys who al- eyebrows. ways listens to other people talk- Just what kicked over all this ing. He could get a fantastic stability it's hard to say. It wasn’t amount of work out of a team a fine balance; you’d think from and out of himself too, and it the look of things that the arrange- never showed. His kind of drive ment could stand a lot of bumps is sort of a secret weapon. and friction. Probably it was an Glenda Spooner and Amy unlucky combination of small Segal were wild about him in a things all harmless in themselves, warm respectful way that never but having a critical-mass char- interfered with the work. I'd acteristic that nobody knew about. guess that Glenda was more wor- Maybe it was Clement’s sick spell shipful about it, or at least, with that triggered it; maybe the her it showed more. Amy was the Flents suddenly went into one of little mouse with the big eyes that those oh-God-what-did-I-ever-see- gets happier and stays just as in-you phases that come over mar- quiet when her grand passion ried people who are never sep- walks into the room, except may- arated; maybe it was Amy’s sud- be she works a little harder so den crazy yen for Joe Flent and he’ll be pleased. Clement was bed- her confusion over it. Probably friends with botli of them, which the worst thing of all was that is the way things usually arrange Joe Flent might have sensed how themselves when there’s an odd she felt and caught fire too. I number of singles on a team. It’s don't know. I guess, like 1 said, expected of them, and the wise that they all happened at once. exec keeps it going that way and Clement getting sick like that. plays no favorites, at least till the He was out after bio specimens job’s done. and spotted a primate. They're The Flents, Katherine and fairly rare on Mullygantz II, big Joe, were married, and had been ugly devils maybe five feet tall but for quite a while before they went so fat they outweigh a man two Outside. His specialty was geol- to one. They’re mottled pink and ogy and mineralogy and she was grey, and hairless, and they have a chemist, and just as their sci- a face that looks like an angry The Girl Had Guts 113 gorilla when it’s relaxed, and a retractile and the teeth arc really ridiculous row of little pointed not teeth at all but serrated bone teeth instead of fangs. They get with all those little needles slant- around pretty good in the trees ing inward like a shark’s. The jaw but they’re easy to outrun on the muscles are pretty flabby, fortu- ground, because they never nately, or he’d have lost an elbow, learned to use their arms and but all die same, it was a bad knuckles like tlie great apes, but bite. Clement couldn't get loose, waddle over the ground with their and he couldn’t reach around him- arms lield up in the air to get self to get to the stun-gun, so he them out of the way. It fools you. drew his flame pistol, thumbed it They look so damn silly that you around to "low”, and scorched the forget they might be dangerous. primate’s throat with it. That was So anyway, Clement surprised Clement, never wanting to do any one on the ground and had it more damage than he had to. The headed for the open fields before primate opened its mouth to pro- it knew what was happening. He tect its throat and Clement got ran it to a standstill, just by get- free. He jumped back and twisted ting betw'een it and the trees and his foot and fell, and something then approaching it. The primate burned him on the side of the did all the running; Clement just face like a lick of hcllfire. He maneuvered it until it was scrabbled back out of the way and totally pooped and squatted down got to his feet. The primate was to wait its doom. Actually all the galloping for the woods on its doom it would have gotten from stumpy little legs with its long Clement was to get stunned, arms up over its head — even then hypoed, examined and turned Clement thought it was funny. loose, but of course it had no way Then something else went for him of knowing that. It just sat there in the long grass and he took a in the grass looking stupid and big leap out of its way. ludicrous and harmless in an ugly He later wrote very careful sort of way, and when Clement notes on this thing. It was wet put out his hand it didn’t move, and it was nasty and it stunk and when he patted it on the neck beyond words. He said you could it just trembled. He was slowly search your memory long after- withdrawing his hand to get his wards and locate separate smells stun-gun out when he said some- in that overall stench the way thing or laughed — anyway, made you can with the instruments of a sound, and the tiling bit him. an orchestra. There was butyl Those little bitty teeth weren’t mercaptan and rotten celery, ex- what they seemed. The gums are crement, formic acid, decayed —

114 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION meat and that certain smell which And when he turned like that, is like the taste of some brasses. so did the thing, leaving behind The burn on his cheek smelt like it a trail of slinie and blood in hydrochloric acid at work on a the beaten grass, a curved filthy hydrocarbon; just what it was. spoor to show him it knew him The thing was irregularly and wanted him. spherical or ovoid, but soft and He confesses he does not re- squashy. Fluids of various kinds member dialling up the flame oozed from it here and there pistol, or the first squeeze of tlie colorless and watery, clotted yel- release. He does remember circling low like soft-boiled eggs, and the tiling and pouring fire on it blood. It bled more than anything while it squirmed and squirted, ought to that needs blood; it bled and while he yelled sounds that in gouts from openings at random, were not words, until he and his

and it bled cutaneously, droplets weapon were spent and there was forming on its surface like the nothing where tlie thing had been sweat on a glass of icewater. but a charred wetness adding the

Cutaneously, did I say? That’s not smell of burned fat to all the what Clement reported. It looked others. He says in his unsparing skinless — flayed was the word he report that he tramped around and used. Much of its surface was around the thing, stamping out striated muscle fibre, apparently the grass-fire he had started, and unprotected. In two places that shaking with revulsion, and that he could see was naked brown tis- he squatted weakly in the grass sue like liver, drooling and drip- weeping from reaction, and that ping excretions of its own. only then did he think of his And this thing, roughly a foot wounds. He broke out his and a half by two feet and weigh- pioneer’s spectral salvo and ing maybe thirty pounds, was smeared it liberally on burns and flopping and hopping in a spastic bite both. He hunkered there until fashion, not caring which side was the analgesic took the pain away up (if it had an up) but always and he felt confident that the wide moving toward him. array of spansuled antibiotics was Clement blew sharply out of at work, and then he roused him- his nostrils and stepped back and self and slogged back to tlie base. to one side — a good long step, And to that sickness. It lasted with the agony of his scalded only eight days or so, and wasn’t cheek to remind him that wherever the kind of sickness that ought to the thing had come from, it was follow such an experience. His high up, and he didn't want it arm and his face healed well and taking off like that again. quickly, his appetite was very — —

The Girl Had Guts 115

good but not excessive, and his don't forget. Clement slept alone mind seemed clear enough. But these eight or nine days, and this during that time, as he put it in wasn’t remarkable either, only a the careful notes he taped on the little unusual, and not worth voicewriter, he felt things he had comment to either Glenda or never felt before and could hardly Amy, who were satisfied, secure, describe. They were all things he and fully occupied women. had heard about or read about, But then, here again w'as that foreign to him personally. There rotten timing, small things on were faint shooting pains in his small things. This had to be the abdomen and back, a sense of time of poor Amy Segal's trouble. pulse where no pulse should be It started over nothing at all, in like that in a knitting bone, but the chem lab where she was doing beating in his soft tissues. None the hurry-up-and-w’ait routine of of it was beyond bearing. He had a lengthy titration. Joe Flent came a constant black diarrhoea, but in to see how’ it was going, passed like the pains it never passed the the time of day, did a little some- nuisance stage. One vague thing thing here, something there with he said about four times: that the equipment. He had to move when he woke up in the morning along the bench just where Amy he felt that he was in some way was standing, and, absorbed in different from what he had been what he was doing, he put out his the night before, and he couldn’t hand to gesture her back, and

say how. Just . . . different. went on with what he was doing. And in time it faded away and But he felt normal again. That was She wrote it in her diary, in the whole damned diing about longhand, a big scrawl of it in the what had happened —he was a middle of those neat little glyphs very resourceful guy, Clement of hers: “He touched me.” All was, and if he’d been gigged just underlined and everything. All a little more by this he'd have right, it was a nothing: 1 said laid his ears back and worked that. It was an accident. But the until he kneiv what the trouble accident had jarred her and she was. But he wasn’t pushed into it was made of fulminate of rner-

that way, and it didn’t keep him curj' all of a sudden. She stood from doing his usual man-and- w’herc she was and let him press a-half’s hard work each day. To close to her, going on with his the others he was unusually quiet, work, and she almost fainted. but if they noticed it at all it What makes these things hap-

w'asn’t enough to remark about. pen . . . ? Never mind; the They were all working hard too, thing happened. She looked at him 116 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION as if she had never seen him be- what she felt and what she fore, tlie light on his hair, the thought she should fed. Maybe shape of his ears and his jaw, she’s a tlirowback to the primitive, the — well, all like that. Maybe when everybody’s concave was she made a sound and maybe Joe fair game to anyone else’s convex.

Flent just sensed it, but he turned Whatever it was about her, it around and tliere they were, star- took tlie form of making her hate ing at each other in some sort of herself. She was walking around mutual hypnosis with God knows among those other people think- what flowing back and forth be- ing, I’m no good, Joe’s married tween them. Then Joe gave a and look at me, I guess I don’t funny little surprised grunt and care he’s married. What’s the did not walk, he ran out of there. matter with me, how could I feel That doesn’t sound like any- this way about Joe, I must be a thing at all, does it? Whatever it monster, I don’t deserve to be was, though, it was enough to here among decent people. And throw little Amy Segal into a flat so on. And no one to tell it to. spin of tlie second order, and pop Maybe if Clement hadn’t been her gimbal bearings. I’ve read Aat sick, or maybe if she’d had it in tliere used to be a lot of stress her to confide in one of the other and strain between people about women, or maybe — well, hell this business of sex. Well, we've with maybe’s. She was half-blind pretty well cleared tliat up, in with misery. the way we humans generally Reading the diary transcript clear things up, by being extreme later I wished I could put time about it. If you’re single you're back and space too and tap her absolutely free. If you’re married on the shoulder and say come you’re absolutely bound. If you’re along, little girl, and then put married and you get an external her in a corner and say listen, itch, you have your free choice knothead, get untied, mil you? —you stay married and don’t You got a yen, never mind, it’ll scratch it, or you scuttle the mar- pass. But as long as it lasts don’t riage and you do scratch it. If be ashamed of it. Damn it, that's you’re single you respect the mar- all she needed, just a word like riage bond just like anyone else; that. . . . you don’t, but I mean you don't Then Clement was well again go holing somebody else’s hull. and one night gave her the sign,

All of which hardly needs say- and she jumped at it, and that was ing, especially not to Amy Segaj. the most miserable thing of all, But like a lot of fine fools before because after it was over she burst her, she was all mixed up tvith into tears and told him it was the The Girl Had Guts 117 last time, never again. He must’ve Ultimately Joe Flent saw it, and been no end startled. He missed what he went through nobody will the ferry there. He could’ve got ever know. I know he saw it, and the whole story if he’d tried, but felt it, because of what hap- he didn’t. Maybe . . . maybe he pened. Oh my God, what hap- was a little changed from what pened! happened to him, after all. Any- It must have been about now way, poor Amy hit die bottom of that Amy got the same strange the tank about then. She scribbled almost-sickness Clement had gone yards about it in her book. She’d through. Vague throbbings and Just found out she responded to shiftings in the abdomen, and the Clement just like always, and that drizzles, and again that weird proved to her that she couldn’t thing about feeling different in love Joe after all, therefore her the morning and not knowing love wasn’t real, therefore she why. And when she was about wasn't worth loving, therefore Joe halfway through the eight-day would never love her. Little bub- seige, damn if Glenda Spooner blehead! and the only way out doesn’t seem to come down with she could see was to force herself it. Clement did the reporting on to be faithful to somebody, so she this; he was seeing a lot more of was going to “purify her feel- Glenda these days and could ings’’ — that’s what she wrote — by watch it. He noticed the similarity being faithful to Joe, hence no with his own illness all right, more Clement and of course no though it wasn’t as noticeable, Joe. And with that decision she and called all hands for a report. put her ductless glands in a Amy, possibly Glenda, and Clem- grand alliance with her insanity. ent had it and passed it; the Would you believe that anyone Flents never showed the signs. in this day and age could have Clement decided finally that it such a pot boiling inside a fuzzy was just one of tliose things that skull? people get and no one knows From that moment on Amy why, like the common cold before Segal was under forced draft. Billipp discovered it was an al- Apparently no one said anything lergy to a gluten fraction. And al^ut it, but you just don’t build the fact that Glenda Spooner had up incandescence in small dark had such a slight attack opened places without somebody notic- the possibility that one or both ing. Katherine Flent must have Flents had had it and never tumbled early, as women do, and known it —and that’s something probably said nothing about it, else we'll never know for sure. as some women sometimes don’t. Well, one fine day Clement 118 VENTURB SCIENCE FICTION headed out to quarter the shale wide-winged and ea>)' to see, es- hills to the north, looking for pe- pecially against a black shale troleum if he could find it and bluff. Clement wanted a good anything else if he couldn’t. Clem- look at how it sheltered its nest, ent was a fine observer. Trouble which looks like half a pinecone with Clement, he was an ecolo- as big as half a barrel — you’d gist, which is musdy a biologist, think too big for the bird to keep and biologists are crazy. dry. So up he went —and discov- Tlie fine day, about three ered that the fish-head stork’s hours after he left, sprung a leak, thick floppy neck conceals three, and the bottom dropped out of maybe four S-curves underneuth the sky —which didn’t worry any- all that loose skin. He was all of one because everyone knew it nine feet away from the nest, wouldn’t worry Clement. clinging to the cniinbly rock wall,

Only he didn’t come back. when he discovered it, the hard That was a long night at the way. The stork’s head shot out base. Twice searchers started out like a battering ram and caught but they turned back in the first him right on the breastbone, and two hundred yards. Rain can down he went, and I guess that come down like that if it wants waterlogged shale was waiting for to, but it shouldn’t keep it up for just this, because he start^ a so long. Morning didn't stop it, really good rock-slide. He broke but as soon as it was dark grey his leg and was buried up to die outside instead of total black, the shoulder blades. He was facing Flents and the two girls dropped up the cliff, with the rain beat- everything and headed for the ing down on him almost enough hills. Amy and Glenda went to to tear his eyelids. He had noth- the west and separated and ing to look at except the under- searched the ridge until mid-after- side of the nest, which his rock- noon, so it was all over by the slide had exposed, and I imag- time they got back. The Flents ine he looked at it until he took the north and east, and it understood, much against his was Joe who found Clement. will, that the nest was all that That crazy Clement, he’d seen was holding up more loosened a bird’s nest. He saw it because rock above it; and he put in the it was raining and because the night that way, waiting for seep- fish-head stork always roosts in age to loosen the gunk that stuck the rain; if it didn’t its goofy the nest up there and send those glued'together nest would come tons of rock smack in his face. unstuck. It’s a big bird, larger The leg was pretty bad and he than a terran stork, snow-white. probably passed out t>vo or three The Girl Had Guts U9 times, but never long enough to up and down in a crazy irregular suit him . . . damn it! 1 got a hop, each one taking it closer to list this long of fxjople who ought Joe as he lay on his back half to have things like that happen stunned, and she recognized it for to them. So it has to happen to tlie tiling that had attacked Clem- Clement. ent the day the primate bit him. ft was still raining in the She logged this report on the morning when Joe Flent found voicewTiter and 1 heard the tape, him. Joe let out a roar to the and I wish they’d transcribe it westward where his wife was and tlien destroy it. Nobody combing the rocks, but didn't should hear a duty-bound horror- wait to see if she’d heard. If she struck soul like that tell such a

didn't, maybe there was a sort of story. Read it, okay. But that telepathy between them like Amy torn-up monotone, oh God. She said in her diary. Anyway, she was having nine agonies at once, arrived just in time to see it hap- what with her hands all gone and pen, but not in time to do any- what happened to Joe out there,

tliing about it. and what he’d said . . . arrgh! She saw Joe bending over I can’t tell it without hearing it Clement’s head and shoulders in my head. where they stuck out of the rock Well. That stinking horror pile, and then she heard a short, hopped up on Joe and he half sharp shout. It must have been sat up and it hopped again and Clement who shouted; he was landed right over his face and

facing uphill and could see it slumped tliere quivering, bleed- coming, nest and all. Katlierine ing and streaming rain and acid. screamed and ran toward them, Joe flipped so hard his feet went and then the new slide reached straight up in the air and he the bottom, and that was that for seemed to hang there, standing Clement. on the back of his head and his But not for Joe. Something shoulder-blades with his arms else got Joe. and legs doing a crazy jumping- It seemed to explode out of the jack flailing. Then he fell again rocks a split second before the with the monstrosity snugger than slide hit. It took Joe Flent in the ever over his face and neck and chest so hard it lifted him right head, and he squirmed once and off his feet and flung him down then lay still, and that was when and away from the slide. Kather- Katherine got to him. ine screamed again as she ran, Katherine went at that thing because the thing that had with her bare hands. One-half knocked Joe down was bouncing second contact, even in all that —

120 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION rain, was enough to pucker and in the front of his head. He said, shrivel her skin, and it must have “Amy? Amy?” and suddenly felt like plunging her hands into fought Katherine blindly. She lost smoking deep-fat. She didn’t say her balance and her arm fell what it felt like. She only said away from his back, and he went that when she grabbed at the down. He made one great cry thing to tear it away from Joe's that raised echoes all up and face, it came apart in small slip- down the ridge: “A . . . mee- .” pery handfuls. She kicked at it eee. . . and in a minute or and her foot went in and through two he was dead. it and it spilled ropy guts and Katherine sat there until she gouted blo(^. She tore into it was ready to go, and covered his again, clawing and batting it face with tlie shirt. She looked away, and that was probably once at the thing that had killed when she did the most damage him. It was dead, scattered in to her hands. Tlien she had an slimy bits all over tlie edge of the idea from somewhere in tliat rock-fall. She went back to the nightmare, fell back and took base. She didn’t remember the Joe’s feet and dragged him twenty trip. She must have been soaked feet aAvay — don't ask me how and chilled to the bone-marrow. and turned him over on his face She apparently went straight to so the last of that mess dropped the voicewriter and reported in oflE him. She skinned out of her and then just sat there, three, four shirt and knelt down and rolled hours until the others got back. him over and sat him up. She Now if only somebody had tried to wipe his face w'ith the been there to ... 1 don't know. shirt hut found she couldn’t hold Maybe she couldn’t have listened, it, so .she scooped her ruined hand after ail that. Who knows what under it and brought it up and went on in her head while she mopped, but what she mopped sat there letting her blood run at wasn’t a face any more. On out of her hands on to the floor? tlie tape she said, in that flat I’d guess it was that last cry of shredded voice, “I didn’t realize Joe’s, because of what happened that for a while.” when Glenda and Amy came in. She put her arms around Joe It might have been so loud in her and rocked him and said, “Joey, head that nobody else’s voice it’s Katherine, it’s all right, honey. could get in. But 1 still wish Katherine’s here.” He sighed once, somebody had been there, some- a long, shuddering sigh and body who knows about the things straightened his back, and a hole people say when they die. Some- bigger than a mouth opened up times they’re already dead when The Girl Had Guts 121 tliey say those things; tliey don't find Clement? Quick!” she rapped mean anything. I saw an engi- at Glenda, who stood frozen in neer get it when a generator the doorway. “Get Joe." threw a segment. He just said At the sound of Joe’s name

“Three-eighths . . . three- Katherine moaned softly and eighths . . What I’m trying to leaped. She was met in midair say, it didn’t have to mean any- by the same kind of thing that had

thing. . . . Well, what's tlie dif- killed her husband. ference now? The soft horror caught Katli- They came in dripping and erine off the floor in mid-leap tired, calling out. Katherine Flent and hurled her backward. Her didn’t answer. They came into head hit the comer of a steel re- the recording shack, Amy first. lay-rack . . . Amy was half across the floor be- The stench in tlie small room fore she saw Katherine. Glenda was quite beyond description, be- was still in the doorway. Amy yond bearing. Amy staggered to screamed, and I guess anyone the door, pushing an unresisting would, seeing Katherine with her Glenda ahead of her. . . . hair plastered around her face the And there they were as we way it had dried, and blood all found them, Purcell and me: one over her clotlies and the floor, and fevered freak that could out-eat no shirt. She fixed her crazy eyes six men, and one catatonic. on Amy and got up slowly. Amy called her name twice but Kath- I sent Purcell out to the shale erine kept on moving, slow, hill to see if there was enough steady, evenly. Between the heels left of Clement and Joe Flent for of her ruined hands she held a an examination. There wasn’t. skinning knife. She probably Animals had scattered Joe’s re- couldn’t have held it tightly mains pretty thoroughly, and Pur- enough to do any damage, but I cell couldn't find Clement at all, guess tliat didn't occur to Amy. though he moved rocks till his Amy stepped back toward the hands bled. There had probably door and with one long step been more slides after that rain. Katherine headed her off and Somehow, in those weeks when herded her toward the other cor- she maintained the basic instru- ner, where there was no way out. mentation single-handed, Amy Se- Amy glanced behind her, saw the gal had managed to drag Kather- trap, covered her face with her ine out and bury her, and clean hands, stepped back, dropped her up the recording room, though hands. “Katherine!” she screamed. nothing but burning would ever

“What is it? What is it? Did you get all that smell out of it. 122 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION

We left everytliing but the less, eyeless monstrosity which ap- tapes and records. The scout was parently could appear from no- built for two men and cargo, and W’here in midair, even indoors getting her off the ground with (like the one that killed Kather- four wasn’t easy. I was mighty ine Flent); which looked as if it glad to get back on tlie bridge of could not live, but which still the flicker-ship and away from would attack and could kill. 1 that five-nines hell. We stashed got no place. I mulled over more the two girls in a cabin next to theories than I'll go into, some of the sick bay and quarantined ’em pretty far-fetched, like a them, just in case, and I went to fourth-dimensional thing that . . . work on the records, getting the well, on the other hand, Nature story in about the order I’ve given can be pretty far-fetched too, as it here. anyone w'ho has seen the rear end

And once I had it, there wasn't of a mandrill will attest. a thing 1 could do with it. Amy What do you know about sea- was at all times delirious, or cucumbers, as another nauseating asleep or . eating; you could get example? very little from her, and even then you couldn’t trust what you We popped out of tlie flicker- got. From Glenda you got nothing. field in due time, and Luna was She just lay still with that pleas- good to see. We transferred to a ant half-smile on her face and let rocket-ferry at Outer Orbit and the universe proceed without her. dropped in smoothly, and came On a ship like ours we are the into the base here in quarantine medical division, the skipper and procedure, impounding ferry and the officers, and we could do noth- all. The girls were at last put into ing for these two but keep them competent hands, and the crew fed and comfortable; otherwise, were given the usual screening. we mostly forgot they were aboard. Usual or not, it’s about as thor- Which was an error. ough as a physical examination Status quo, then, far as I knew, can get, and after they’d all been from the time we left the planet cleared, and slept six hours, and until we made earthfall, the crew gone through it again and been going al)out its business, the two cleared again, I gave them 72- girls in quarantine witli Purcell hour passes, renewable, and filling the hopper with food for turned ’em loose. the one and spoon-feeding the I was more than anxious to go other, and me locked up with the along too, but by that time I was records, piecing and guessing and up to the eyeballs in specialists trying to make sense out of a limb- and theorists, and in some spe- —

The Girl Had Guts 123 clalties and tlieories that began to cape, it's a defense. And tliat was get too fascinating for even a our girl Glenda. home-hungry hound like me to They regressed her until they ignore. That was when I called had her located out in the field, you and said how tied up I was searching for Clement. Then they and swore I’d be out of there in brought her fonvard again, so that another day. You were nice about in her mind she was contacting that. Of course, I had no idea it Amy, slogging through the rain wouldn't be just one more day, back to tiie base. They got to but anotlier six weeks. where Amy entered the recording Right after the crew was turned shack and screamed, seeing Kath- loose they called me out of the erine Flent looking that way. semantics section, where we were There they located the exact split collating all notes and records, second of trauma, the moment into the psych division. when something happened which

They had one of the . . . the was so terrible that Glenda had things there. not let herself see it.

I have to hand it to those guys. More dope, more application of I guess they were just as tempted the fields through the helmet they as Clement was when he first saw had her strapped into. They re- one, to burn it into nothing as fast gressed her a few minutes and as it could be burned. I saw it, had her approach that moment and that was my first impulse. again. They tried it again, and God. No amount of clinical re- some more, making slight adjust- porting like Clement’s could give ments each time, knowing that you the remotest idea of just how sooner or later they would have disgusting one of those things is. the exact subtle nudge that would They’d been working over push her through her self-induced Glenda Spooner. Catatonics are barrier, make her at last exper- hard to do anything with, but ience the thing she was so afraid they used some high-potency nar- to acknowledge. cosyntheses and some field induc- And they did it, and when they tions, and did a regression. They did it, the soft gutty thing ap- found out just what sort of a cata- l>eared, slamming into a techni- tonic she was. Some, you proh* cian fifteen feet away, hitting him ably know, retreat like that as a so hard it knocked him flat and result of some profound shock slid him spinning into the far after they have been shocked. It's wall. He was a young fellow .an escape. But some go into that named Petri and it lolled him. seize-up in the split second before Like Katherine Flent, he died the shock. Then it isn’t an es- probably before he felt the acid 124 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION burns. He went right into the One thing they found was transformer housing and died in pretty subtle. It was a nuclear a net of sparks. pattern in the cells of the con-

And as I said, these boys had nective tissue quite unlike any- their wits about tliem. Sure, some- thing any of them had seen be- one went to help Petri (though fore. They checked Amy Segal for not in time) and someone else it and found the same thing. They went after a flame pistol. He was- checked me for it and didn’t. That n’t in time either; because w'hen was when I sent out the recall he got back with it, Shellabarger order for the whole crew. I didn’t and Li Kyu had the glass bell off think any of them would have it, a vacuum rig and had corralled the but we had to be sure. If that filthy thing with it. They slid a got loose on Earth . . . resilient mat under it and slapped All but one of the crew had a a coupling on lop and jetted the clean bill when given the new jar full of liquid argon. test, and tliere W'asn’t otheivvise This time there was no charred anything wrong with that one. mass, no kicked-apart, rain-soaked The other thing Glenda’s au- scatter of parts to deal with. topsy re^'eaied was anytliing but Here was a perfect specimen, if subtle. you can call such a thing perfect, Her abdomen was empty. frozen solid while it was still alive Her liver, kidneys, almost all and trying to hop up and down of the upper and all of the lower and find someone to bubble its intestine were missing, along with dirty acids on. They had it to the spleen, the bladder, and as- keep, to slice up with a micro- sorted tripe of that nature. Re- tome, even to revive, if anyone maining were the uterus, with the had the strong guts. Fallopian tubes newly convoluted Glenda proved clearly tliat with and the ovaries tacked right to her particular psychic makeup, the uterus itself; the stomach; a she had chosen the right defense. single loop of what had once been When she saw the thing, she died upper intestine, attached in a of fright. It was that, just that, dozen places to various spots on that she had tried to avoid with the wall of the peritoneum. It catatonia. The psycho boys emptied directly into a rectal seg- breached it, and found out just ment, without any distinctive uri- how right she had been. But at nary system, much like the primi- least she didn't die uselessly, like tive equipment of a bird. Flent and Clement and poor Everything that was missing, Katherine. Because it was her au- they found under the bell jar. topsy that cleared things up. Now we knew what had hit —

The Girl Had Guts 125

Katherine Flent, and why Amy that is, six weeks from Katherine was empty and starved when we Flent’s death, and Amy was al- found lier. Joe Flent had been most back to normal; she’d tapered killed by . . . one of the . . . off on the calories, her abdomen well, by something that erupted at had filled out to almost normal, him as he bent over the trapped her temperature had steadied and Clement. Clement himself had by and large she was okay. What been struck on the side of the face I’m trying to put over is that she by such a tiling —and whose was had some intestines for us to in- that? vestigate she'd grown a new set. Why, that primate’s. The pri- That’s right. She’d thrown her mate he walked into submission, old ones at Katherine Flent. and touclicd, and frightened. There wasn’t anything wrong It bit him in panic terror. Joe with the new ones, either. At the Flent was killed in a moment of time of her first examination ev- panic terror too — not his, but erything was operating but the Clement’s, who saw the rock-slide kidneys; their function was being coming. Katherine Flent died in a handled by a very simple, very moment of terror — not liers, but efficient sort of filter attached to Amy’s, as Amy crouched cornered the ventral wall of the peritoneum. in the shack and watched Kath- We found a similar organ in au- erine coming with a knife. And topsying poor Glenda Spooner. the one which had appeared on Next to it were the adrenals, ap- earth, in the psych lab, why, tliat parently transferred there from needed the same thing to be born their place astride tlie original kid- in —when the boys forced Glenda neys. And sure enough, we found Spooner across a mental barrier Amy’s adrenals placed that way, she could not cross and live. and not on the new kidneys. In a We had everything now but tlie fascinating three-day sequence we mechanics of the thing, and that saw those new kidneys completed we got from Amy, tlie bravest and begin to operate, while tlie woman yet. By the time we were surrogate organ which had been through with her, every man in doing their work atrophied and the place admired her g — uh, went quiet. It stayed there, dammil, not that. Admired her though, ready. fortitude. She was probed and The climax of the examination goaded and prodded and checked, came when we induced panic ter- and finally went tlirough a whole ror in her, with a vivid abreaction series of advanced exploratories. of the events in the recording By the time the exploratories be- shack the day Katherine died. gan, about six weeks had gone by, Bless that Amy, when we sug- 126 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION

gested it she grinned and said, contained all Amy’s new equip- “Sure!" ment, in sorry shape. All abdom- But tliis time it was done un- inal organs can be compressed to der laboratory conditions, with a less than two inches in diameter, high-speed camera to watch the but not if they’re expected to work proceedings. Oh God, did they again. These weren’t. proceed! The thing was covered with a The film showed Amy’s plain layer of muscle tissue, and dotted pleasant sleeping face with its with two kinds of ganglia, one stainless halo of psych-field hood, sensory and one motor. It would which was hauling her subjective keep hopping as long as there was self back to that awful moment in enough of it left to hop, which the records shack. You could tell was what the motor system did. the moment she arrived there by It was gcotropic, and it would the anxiety, the tension, the sur- alter its muscular spasms to move prise and shock that showed on it toward anything around it that her face. “Glenda!” she screamed, lived and had warm blood, and

“Get Joe!”—and then . . . that’s what the primitive sensory It looked at first as if she was system was for. making a face, sticking out her And at last we could discard tongue. She was making a face all the fifty or sixty theories that had right, the mask of purest, termi- been formed and decide on one: nal fear, but that wasn't a tongue. That the primates of Mullygantz It came out and out, unbeliev- II had the ability, like a terran ably fast even on the slow-motion seaTichron- one crew-member who "con- ized spasm, and the entrails, tracted” the condition. Nor did it sheathed in muscle fiber and explain what kiiid of a survival dotted with nerve ganglia, com- characteristic it is that can get pressed into a long tube and was transmitted around like a virus forced out like a bullet. Instantly infection, even to species. the revised and edited abdomen Within that same six weeks of got to work, perforating the new quarantine, we even got an an- stomach outlet, sealing the old. swer to that. By a stretch of the and starting the complex of sim- imagination, you might call the ple surrogates to work. And as

thing a virus. At least, it was a long as enough new building ma- rdterablc organism which, like the terial was received fast enough, tobacco mosaic or tlie slime mold, an enormously accelerated re- had an organizing factor. You building job started, blue-printed might call it a life form, or a com- God knows how from God knows plex biochemical action, basically what kind of a cellular memory,

un-alive. You could call it sym- until in less than two months biote. Symbiotes often go out of the original abdominal contents,

their way to see to it that the plus revision, were duplicated, hosts survive. and all was ready for the next After entering a body, these emergency. creatures multiplied until they Then we found tliat in spite could organize, and then went to of its incredible and complex hold work on the host. Connective tis- on its own life and those of its 128 VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION hosts, it Iiad no defense at all get home to my walkin' talkin’ wet- against one of humanity’s oldest tin’ doll that blows bubbles.” therapeutic tools, the RF fever “You're silly." cabinet. A high frequency induced “C’mere.” fever of 108 sustained for seven The doorbell hummed. minutes killed it off as if it had “I’ll get it,” I said, “and throw never existed, and we found that ’em out. It’s probably a reporter." the “revised” gut was in every way But Sue was already on her as good as the original, if not bet- feet. "Let me, let me. You just stay ter (because damaged organs were there and finish our drink.” And replaced witli healthy ones if there before I could stop her she flung was enough of them left to sho^v into the house and up the long original structure) —and that by corridor to the foyer. keeping a culture of the Mully- I chuckled, drank my ale and gantz ‘virus’ we had the ultimate, got up to see who was horning in. drastic treatment for forty-odd I had my slioes off so 1 guess 1 types of abdominal cancer — in- was pretty quiet. Tliough 1 didn’t cluding two types for which we’d need to be. Purcell was roaring had no answer at all! away in his best old salt fashion, So it was we lost the planet, “Let’s have us another quickie. and gained it back with a bonus. Susie, before the Space Scout We could cause this thing and gets through with his red carpet cure it and diagnose it and use it, treatment tomorrow— miss me, and the new world was open honey?” . . . while Sue w'as im- again. And that part of the story, ploringly trying to cover his mouth as you probably know, came out W'ith her hands. all over the newsfax and 'casters, Maybe I ran; I don’t know. which is why I’m getting a big An^Tvay, I was there, right behind liello from taxi drivers and door- her. I didn’t say anything. Purcell men. . , . looked at me and went white. .” “Skipper . . “But the ’fax said you wouldn't And in the hall mirror behind be leaving the base until tomor- Purcell, my wife met my eyes. row noon!” Sue said after 1 had What she saw in my face I cannot spouted all this to her and at long say, but in hers I saw panic terror. last got it all off my chest in one In the small space beUveen great big piece. Purcell and Sue, sometliing ap- “Sure. They got that straight peared. It knocked Purcell into the from me. I heard rumors of a mirror, and he slid down in a wel- parade and speeches and God ter of blood and stinks and broken knows what else, and I wanted to glass. The recoil slammed Sue into The Girl Had Guis 129

my arms. I put her by so I could on to her flat midriff, “That Pur- watch the tattered, bleeding thing cell, I guess it did him good to on the floor hop and hop until it get away with things under my settled down on the nearest warm nose. First that helpless catatonic

living thing it could sense, which Glenda on the way home, then was Purcell’s face. you. I hope you had a real good

I let Sue watch it and crossed time, honey.” to the phone and called the com- It smelled bad in there so I mandant. “Gargan,” I said, watch- left. I left and walked all the way ing. “Listen, Joe, I found out that back to tlie Base. It took about ten Purcell lied about where he went hours. \\'hen I got there I went to in that first liberty. Also why he the Medical wing for my own lied.” For a few seconds I couldn’t fever-box cure and to do some seem to get my breath. “Send the thinking about girls with guts, one meat wagon and an ambulance, way or another. And I began to and tell Harry to get ready for wait. They’3 be opening up Mul-

another hollowbelly. . . . Yes, I lygantz II again, and I tliought 1

said, one dead. . . . Purcell, might look for a girl who’d have

dammit. Do I liave to draw you a the . . . fortitude to go back

cartoon?” I roared, and hung up. with me. A girl like Amy.

I said to Sue, who was holding Or maybe Amy.

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• speaking of science-fiction — as VENTURE S F proposes to do fre- quently — we believe that in “Virgin Planet,” Poul Anderson demon- strates beautifully his talent as a teller of exciting stories with sound and richly creative backgrounds. I'he following is a quote from a re- cent note from Poul (pronounced, by word of the man himself, “mid- way between ‘pole’ and ‘powl”') — a quote which accurately describes both his own work and a guiding principle of VENTURE S F: “To me, there are two primary requirements of a good story: accuracy and en- tertainment. Known facts should never consciously be tampered with (though of course in science fiction one usually postulates additional areas of knowledge) and the psychology of the characters and logic of the plot should ring true. No matter how serious its purpose, a story

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Davis Bertram's ship should have been named At Venture. . . . • On a recent weekend, a lean venturer dropped by Ted Sturgeon’s house, set on a high hill between lakes, not far from the Hudson River. He sat down in front of a coffee table, which his knee bumped lightly. IJghts went on, and what had been an anonymous table base was abruptly revealed as a glass tank inhabited by strange, brilliantly colored fish. The venturer was not astonished — with Sturgeon you exjKct that sort of thing; reading the opening lines of almost anything he writes is

like pushing a button that turns on lights in a fascinating world. . . . Warning: for those readers with delicate constitutions the lights in “Tlie

” Girl Had Guts may be a bit too bright. . . .

• About a year ago, shortly after tlie Third Avc. El was torn dowji, a member of our staff was walking east on 57th St. with Isaac Asimov. “I w'onder," ruminated Asimov, “why Third Avenue reminds me of lliat Christmas. . . . 1 know — Noel!” We contend that after miserable pun the appearance in this issue of an Asimov story is sufficient evidence of our impartial editorial judgment; we have even asked him for an- other, to written in collaboration with Paul French and tentatively titled, “I’m in Marsport Without Hilda.”

• We were impressed by the Lbs Cole story when it came in, but -felt we ought to hear the woman’s point of view too. Rose Sharon

agreed to tell it, and she does it, we tliink, most convincingly. —RPM .

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