Authors: Phyllis Gotlieb
Mindworlds (21 page)
Lorrice sighed raggedly and said, “He does know how to use fleshers. You'll notice he didn't say, whatever you want.”
Tyloe found his mind a blank except for one question. It kept him staring at Lorrice, she felt the look's intensity. “That Quadzull ⦔
She shrugged. “Before your time. We'd go out into the forest and he made me learn to shoot. You know Brezant liked to live dangerously. Then he wanted to fuck me lying on all the dead leaves and branches. He didn't know how dangerous ⦔
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Khagodis, Dead Moon Crater:
Desperation
Desperation
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Hasso's sleep under the engine's drumming was jolted and shuddering. If he had asked himself,
How many days since I left home?
He could not have answered. Or its alternate:
How many since I was so happy on my rooftop brewing tea and waiting for Skerow, when this frightened Lyhhrt called out to me and sent me on this mission, to be imprisoned in a cell for no good reason, find that my one heart was so weak, gather enemies for no reason, and then be chosen as a specimen of humanity by a Being that may not even exist! In all being so helpless, so helpless!
His dreams presented the memories in disjointed and surrealistic fragments.
How many days since I left home?
He could not have answered. Or its alternate:
How many since I was so happy on my rooftop brewing tea and waiting for Skerow, when this frightened Lyhhrt called out to me and sent me on this mission, to be imprisoned in a cell for no good reason, find that my one heart was so weak, gather enemies for no reason, and then be chosen as a specimen of humanity by a Being that may not even exist! In all being so helpless, so helpless!
His dreams presented the memories in disjointed and surrealistic fragments.
He was startled awake by a sharp slapping noise that echoed over the water, and after an instant realized that it was a gunshot.
“That was fired into the air,” Dritta said. “They are not aiming at us yet.”
Hasso rubbed his eyes and tried to separate this new phenomenon from his dreams, and shift himself out of the stiffness in his limbs. “Would they really try to hit us?”
“I don't know, but Shipmaster has reported them to the Coastal Police.”
The shutters on one side of the cabin had already been folded back, and the UnderMaster was going along the other, the planks slapped and cracked against each other with a noise almost as loud as the gunshot. The sun had burned off mist and rose through second quarter into the flat blue sky. Hasso could just make out the pursuing yacht, but had no line of sight to tell how near land the barge was.
The Lyhhrt said, “They don't yet mean to kill. They do mean to succeed.”
“We'll see about that,” Dritta said.
Hasso was about to say,
That they are willing to shootâ
and stopped.
That they are willing to shootâ
and stopped.
He noticed for the first time a bracelet on Dritta's wrist, had a flash of thought that jewelry was incongruous on a police officer; then realized that the band, pewter studded with onyx, indicated sterility. In some countries, not his own, it was the obligatory brand of sterility, in men or women. A warning:
not worth marrying!
Skerow had not worn one.
not worth marrying!
Skerow had not worn one.
Hasso shivered. In a way her burden, hidden under youth and health, was greater than his own. He turned his mind away and helped her gather baggage.
“Land in one half-hour!” Shipmaster said. “Officer! I am willing to put full effort into moving this vessel, but I will not put the lives of all my passengers in danger for your sake!”
“Do your best, please, Shipmaster!”
Now Hasso could see that there were stony arms of land rising to either side of the barge, and the quieter water let it slip toward the shore more quickly.
After a calm quarter-hour the noise of a shot cracked across the water once more, and in a few minutes the barge was gritting against a dock and the shipmaster rang his brass bell. “Out!” he barked through his microphone. “This here is Insight Island, just off Dead Moon Crater, and I am taking you no further for all your Offices and badges. I'm telling the Coastal Police where we're landing you, I will inform the
Ocean Star,
and I've taken as much risk as I can! Out, and let me get away from those damned murderers. Next time I would sooner give you up to them than let them shoot at me again!” He wound up the microphone to its loudest. “You with your guns out there! There's nothing for you on this barge!”
Ocean Star,
and I've taken as much risk as I can! Out, and let me get away from those damned murderers. Next time I would sooner give you up to them than let them shoot at me again!” He wound up the microphone to its loudest. “You with your guns out there! There's nothing for you on this barge!”
“I will report you!” Dritta said.
“Do that, Madam Officer, and you will see the twist of my tail and no more of me. Get off.” He lifted his arm to his workers and they let fall a gangplank.
Hasso could smell from far off the stench of ancient fires that had never been allowed to go out. “Dems'l, the shipmaster is not completely out of order. This place probably smells better than that other and you are well armed to defend us.”
“Gorodek has no clearance for Dead Moon Crater, but nobody can stop him from landing here,” Dritta said.
There was little to see of Insight Island except a rocky barren slope topped with a square block of a building that may have once been white and inhabited by a watchman, but was now smoke-blackened and half-collapsed. The air was hot as well as fetid and the hard blue sky, smudged with smoke and ash, held nothing but the brazen sun.
Hasso pulled a handful of silver pistabat from his purse,
more than enough, tossed it to the shipmaster and said roughly, “We never chose to bring you into danger.”
more than enough, tossed it to the shipmaster and said roughly, “We never chose to bring you into danger.”
He stepped down on the gangplank and reached to help the Lyhhrt, who was still unsteady.
“I'd have had sharper words for him,” Dritta said.
“What use?” A couple of workers were quickly pulling up the gangplank and the barge steamed away even faster than it had come.
Ekket pointed: “Look, they will land in a moment!” The yacht was only a few hundred siguu away from the shore and traveling fast. Dritta fired a shot into the air, but it would not slow.
“Get up the hill and hurry! Lyhhrt, can you climb?”
“I believe so.”
“Then come.” Dritta and Ekket, both strong enough and light-footed, took Hasso by one arm each before he could protest and half-carried him up the slope. But he was grateful; it was hard keeping his sandal-boots level on the sharp rocks.
The Lyhhrt climbed easily enough, but said to Hasso alone,
:Their Lyhhrt is inside the body of one on that boat.:
:Their Lyhhrt is inside the body of one on that boat.:
Hasso could not tell if there was more fear than anger in the thought.
You have more power in your shell than he in whatever body.:
You have more power in your shell than he in whatever body.:
The hilltop gave way to more hills, folded and pleated by weather as well as earthquakes, with here and there a clump of semi-succulent thumbknuckle shrubs, most with spines, and one or two small stands of stunted trees. Hasso thought that the place was an outcropping that had been separated from the crater wall by earthquake, though the crater itself, unlike most on Khagodis, was caused not by volcano but from an ancient comet. A self-punishing place to look for insight.
“Plenty of hiding places,” Dritta said.
“Best not to get backed up in them,” Hasso muttered. Looking down, he could see that the yacht had reached the
dock and one of its crew had jumped off to tie up. Two or three others were helping Gorodek disembark. “Is he actually coming to chase after us himself?”
dock and one of its crew had jumped off to tie up. Two or three others were helping Gorodek disembark. “Is he actually coming to chase after us himself?”
“Good, he'll slow them,” Dritta said. “Let's move.”
Hasso was struck again with a sharp sense of unreality. His heart began to thud frighteningly, and he fought to force calm on himself, and keep moving with the others. Dritta took his hand; the onyx bracelet gave him a cold touch and he shivered again, for her sake.
There were voices calling, and one more shot.
So far they have not shot at us, butâ
He was angry now.
“I can see a crease in the rock wall, down over there,” Dritta said, “where we can watch for them.”
“There is also a back way out, and that's good, but we can't afford to go too far ⦔
Would Gorodek order Ekket to be fired on? Go that far?
But someone fired into the air again, and even Hasso hurried toward the shelter of the rock crevice.
Dritta remained at its opening with her Uzi MarkVII harnessed on her shoulders and her eyes on its miniscreen, but all Hasso could see was a slate-colored wedge of sky with her at its lowest point, and could not keep from crying out, “Don't stay there, dems'l!”
A voice out of a loud-hailer called, “Come out and speak to us, we will not fire!”
Dritta switched off her helmet for one moment and said, “Just one of you come forward and we will both put down weapons.”
Hasso said evenly, “What will you do if they do fire at us?”
“I will return fire.”
But a great mindvoice swelled out and seemed to Hasso as if it struck sky, rocks and even the sun like a gong.
:Why did you desert me! Why do you hate me! Why will you not be my Other!:
The Lyhht began to tremble, both in his thoughts and in control of his workshell: its microscopic plates sang like the faintest of wind chimes.
Ekket and Dritta cried out in ragged chorus, “What's this? What's happening?”
Hasso did not know how to explain the outburst, but he forced himself to say, “One of those with Gorodek is harboring a Lyhhrt.”
Or maybe Gorodek himself ⦠but no, he would not let himself do that.
Or maybe Gorodek himself ⦠but no, he would not let himself do that.
“Eki, that's possible? I knew there might be another Lyhhrt, but notâ”
That mind said, :
You know you want to be One with me, with me!:
You know you want to be One with me, with me!:
The Lyhhrt left Hasso's side, went to stand beside Dritta, and spoke.
:I longed to have an Other like you, but I cannot make myself live in the mind and body of another person.:
Just the same he stepped past Dritta and she was unable to stop him.
:I longed to have an Other like you, but I cannot make myself live in the mind and body of another person.:
Just the same he stepped past Dritta and she was unable to stop him.
Hasso said,
:Friend! Think how hard you have fought against this! Every step you take away from us you are nearer to being taken, Lyhhrt.:
:Friend! Think how hard you have fought against this! Every step you take away from us you are nearer to being taken, Lyhhrt.:
The Lyhhrt paused.
:I want! I cannot help wanting, there is no one elseâ:
:I want! I cannot help wanting, there is no one elseâ:
“That one nearly killed you, Lyhhrt,” Hasso said.
The Lyhhrt said, in the whisper of a thought,
:You saved me.:
:You saved me.:
“You owe me nothing,” Hasso said, “but whatever happens to you ought to be under your own control.”
“I want to see what body this one is living in.”
“You know he was living inside Sketh, it is obvious now when I think of it that he cut himself out of Sketh's body and called for his workshell to receive him! What else could have happened? Sketh died only because that other did not
like his corrupted lodging ⦠and where he is now is probably in Osset, because he is the one closest to Gorodek and most controllable.”
like his corrupted lodging ⦠and where he is now is probably in Osset, because he is the one closest to Gorodek and most controllable.”
The Lyhhrt paused.
:Lies! Lies!:
The cry came from Gorodek himself, and his party began to swarm over the ridge and down, five armed guards, first, three of them women half again as tall as Dritta, and Gorodek supported between Osset and one other.
The cry came from Gorodek himself, and his party began to swarm over the ridge and down, five armed guards, first, three of them women half again as tall as Dritta, and Gorodek supported between Osset and one other.
“Dritta, can you signal the
Ocean Star
on your comm?”
Ocean Star
on your comm?”
“I have been doing it since we landed.” She was shaking now, if only for a moment, louder than the Lyhhrt with her chattering teeth. She was very young. “I will hold them off as long as possible.” She pulled at herself and clamped her jaws.
:Don't deny you truly want to be my Other!:
the mindvoice from Gorodek's troop called across the breadth of sliding rock.
:Living within flesh is one more kind of love!:
the mindvoice from Gorodek's troop called across the breadth of sliding rock.
:Living within flesh is one more kind of love!:
Horrible,
Hasso was thinking,
he means it, it's no lie.
Hasso was thinking,
he means it, it's no lie.
The Lyhhrt took one step back. And said,
:Not for me. Whatever I wanted once I do no longer.:
And to Hasso, :
Yes, it is Osset ⦠see, he is sleepwalking ⦠:
Osset was staring at emptiness.
:Not for me. Whatever I wanted once I do no longer.:
And to Hasso, :
Yes, it is Osset ⦠see, he is sleepwalking ⦠:
Osset was staring at emptiness.
Gorodek was now within hearing and called, “Ekket, you must come with me! I paid your mother for you! I have a right to you!”
Ekket said suddenly, “By all the Saints, I can't bear this, let me go to him and save yourselves.”
Dritta said, “What makes you believe that will save us?”
Hasso added, “He's most dangerous now he has lost everythingâhe's a felon with charges against him and you will still be in danger.”
“I must do someâ”
Gorodek, a tiny figure among tall ones, waved his arms, half-dancing on sliding rocks as he balanced, drawing air desperately
to scream, “If I can't have you no one will! Kill her, Osset, Lyrhhtâ”
to scream, “If I can't have you no one will! Kill her, Osset, Lyrhhtâ”
Dritta said sharply, “Get back, Ekket, backâand you, Lyhhrt!” She undid the clasp of the heavy Uzi MarkVII and let it fall, pulled up her stunner and fired, the shot went wild and hit one of the men, who fell immediately into heavy sleep, another took his place and raised a weapon that was not a stunner, andâ
âthe greatest voice in the world said
are all people like this
The unbodied speaker!
Not now, whatever you are! I am not a magnifying glass!
Hasso's scales rose as his vision expanded into the universe and every object, being, bone, brain, blood vessel, rock-vein, cloud, thorn-bud, andâworst of all-thought, presented itself ⦠to whom? ⦠in one integrated panorama of existence.
Good Saints, not now!
He fought to keep balance and consciousness, mind darting like lightning through the other minds around him in dazzling mosaics of electric impulsesâ
Not now, whatever you are! I am not a magnifying glass!
Hasso's scales rose as his vision expanded into the universe and every object, being, bone, brain, blood vessel, rock-vein, cloud, thorn-bud, andâworst of all-thought, presented itself ⦠to whom? ⦠in one integrated panorama of existence.
Good Saints, not now!
He fought to keep balance and consciousness, mind darting like lightning through the other minds around him in dazzling mosaics of electric impulsesâ
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