diff options
| -rw-r--r-- | .gitattributes | 3 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 24395-h.zip | bin | 0 -> 189884 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 24395-h/24395-h.htm | 2835 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 24395-h/images/001.png | bin | 0 -> 29522 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 24395-h/images/002.png | bin | 0 -> 23896 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 24395-h/images/003.png | bin | 0 -> 33526 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 24395-h/images/004.png | bin | 0 -> 36159 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 24395-h/images/005.png | bin | 0 -> 29024 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 24395.txt | 1841 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 24395.zip | bin | 0 -> 34697 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | LICENSE.txt | 11 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | README.md | 2 |
12 files changed, 4692 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/24395-h.zip b/24395-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..90e479f --- /dev/null +++ b/24395-h.zip diff --git a/24395-h/24395-h.htm b/24395-h/24395-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..af4f260 --- /dev/null +++ b/24395-h/24395-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,2835 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Winds of Time, by James H. Schmitz + </title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + p {margin-top: .75em; text-align: justify; margin-bottom: .75em;} + + h1,h2 {text-align: left; clear: both; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0;} + + hr {width: 45%; margin: 1em auto; visibility: hidden;} + + body {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%;} + + .figcenter {margin: 1em auto; width: 600px;} + .figleft {float: left; clear: left; margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; padding: 0; width: 258px;} + .figright {float: right; clear: right; margin: 1em 0 1em 1em; padding: 0; width: 472px;} + + .trans1 {border: solid 1px; margin: 3em 15%; padding: 1em; text-align: justify;} + + img {border: none;} + + p.cap:first-letter {font-size: 200%; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: .7em;} + + .illo {margin-bottom: 3em; margin-top: 1.5em; font-size: small; font-weight: bold;} + .tease {margin: 1em auto; font-size: large;} + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Winds of Time, by James H. Schmitz + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Winds of Time + +Author: James H. Schmitz + +Illustrator: Adolph E. Brotman + +Release Date: January 21, 2008 [EBook #24395] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WINDS OF TIME *** + + + + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<div class="figcenter"> +<img src="images/001.png" width="600" height="311" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<h1>The Winds of Time</h1> + +<div class="tease"><p>He contracted for a charter trip—<br />but the man +who hired his spacer wasn't quite a man,<br />it +turned out—and he wanted more than service!</p></div> + +<h2>by James H. Schmitz</h2> + +<p class="illo">Illustrated by Brotman</p> + +<p class="cap">Gefty Rammer came along the +narrow passages between the <i>Silver +Queen's</i> control compartment and the +staterooms, trying to exchange the +haggard look on his face for one of +competent self-assurance. There was +nothing to gain by letting his two +passengers suspect that during the +past few minutes their pilot, the owner +of Rammer Spacelines, had +been a bare step away from plain and +fancy gibbering.</p> + +<p>He opened the door to Mr. Maulbow's +stateroom and went inside. Mr. +Maulbow, face very pale, eyes closed, +lay on his back on the couch, still unconscious. +He'd been knocked out +when some unknown forces suddenly +started batting the <i>Silver Queen's</i> turnip-shape +around as the <i>Queen</i> had +never been batted before in her +eighteen years of spacefaring. Kerim +Ruse, Maulbow's secretary, knelt beside +her employer, checking his pulse. +She looked anxiously up at Gefty.</p> + +<p>"What did you find out?" she asked +in a voice that was not very steady.</p> + +<p>Gefty shrugged. "Nothing definite +as yet. The ship hasn't been damaged—she's +a tough tub. That's one good +point. Otherwise ... well, I +climbed into a suit and took a look +out the escape hatch. And I saw the +same thing there that the screens +show. Whatever that is."</p> + +<p>"You've no idea then of what's +happened to us, or where we are?" +Miss Ruse persisted. She was a rather +small girl with large, beautiful gray +eyes and thick blue-black hair. At the +moment, she was barefoot and in a +sleeping outfit which consisted of +something soft wrapped around her +top, soft and floppy trousers below. +The black hair was tousled and she +looked around fifteen. She'd been +asleep in her stateroom when something +smacked the <i>Queen</i>, and she +was sensible enough then not to +climb out of the bunk's safety field +until the ship finally stopped shuddering +and bucking about. That +made her the only one of the three +persons aboard who had collected no +bruises. She was scared, of course, but +taking the situation very well.</p> + +<p>Gefty said carefully, "There're a +number of possibilities. It's obvious +that the <i>Queen</i> has been knocked out +of normspace, and it may take some +time to find out how to get her back +there. But the main thing is that the +ship's intact. So far, it doesn't look too +bad."</p> + +<p>Miss Ruse seemed somewhat reassured. +Gefty could hardly have said +the same for himself. He was a qualified +normspace and subspace pilot. He +had put in a hitch with the Federation +Navy, and for the past eight +years he'd been ferrying his own two +ships about the Hub and not infrequently +beyond the Federation's +space territories, but he had never +heard of a situation like this. What he +saw in the viewscreens when the ship +steadied enough to let him pick himself +off the instrument room floor, +and again, a few minutes later and +with much more immediacy, from the +escape hatch, made no sense—seemed +simply to have no meaning. The +pressure meters said there was a vacuum +outside the <i>Queen's</i> skin. That +vacuum was dark, even pitch-black +but here and there came momentary +suggestions of vague light and color. +Occasional pinpricks of brightness +showed and were gone. And there +had been one startling phenomenon +like a distant, giant explosion, a sudden +pallid glare in the dark, which +appeared far ahead of the <i>Queen</i> and, +for the instant it remained in sight, +seemed to be rushing directly towards +them. It had given Gefty the feeling +that the ship itself was plowing at +high speed through this eerie medium. +But he had cut the <i>Queen's</i> +drives to the merest idling pulse as +soon as he staggered back to the control +console and got his first look at +the screens, so it must have been the +light that had moved.</p> + +<p>But such details were best not discussed +with a passenger. Kerim Ruse +would be arriving at enough disquieting +speculations on her own; the less +he told her, the better. There was the +matter of the ship's location instruments. +The only set Gefty had been +able to obtain any reading on were +the direction indicators. And what +they appeared to indicate was that the +<i>Silver Queen</i> was turning on a new +heading something like twenty times +a second.</p> + +<p>Gefty asked, "Has Mr. Maulbow +shown any signs of waking up?"</p> + +<p>Kerim shook her head. "His breathing +and pulse seem all right, and that +bump on his head doesn't look really +bad, but he hasn't moved at all. Can +you think of anything else we might +do for him, Gefty?"</p> + +<p>"Not at the moment," Gefty said. +"He hasn't broken any bones. We'll +see how he feels when he comes out +of it." He was wondering about Mr. +Maulbow and the fact that this charter +had showed some unusual features +from the beginning.</p> + +<p>Kerim was a friendly sort of girl; +they'd got to calling each other by +their first names within a day or two +after the trip started. But after that, +she seemed to be avoiding him; and +Gefty guessed that Maulbow had +spoken to her, probably to make sure +that Kerim didn't let any of her employer's +secrets slip out.</p> + +<p>Maulbow himself was as aloof and +taciturn a client as Rammer Spacelines +ever had picked up. A lean, +blond character of indeterminate +age, with pale eyes, hard mouth. +Why he had selected a bulky semifreighter +like the <i>Queen</i> for a mineralogical +survey jaunt to a lifeless little +sun system far beyond the outposts of +civilization was a point he didn't discuss. +Gefty, needing the charter money, +had restrained his curiosity. If +Maulbow wanted only a pilot and +preferred to do all the rest of the +work himself, that was certainly Maulbow's +affair. And if he happened to +be up to something illegal—though it +was difficult to imagine what—Customs +would nail him when they got +back to the Hub.</p> + +<p>But those facts looked a little different +now.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p>Gefty scratched his chin, inquired, +"Do you happen to know where Mr. +Maulbow keeps the keys to the storage +vault?"</p> + +<p>Kerim looked startled. "Why, no! +I couldn't permit you to take the keys +anyway while he ... while he's unconscious! +You know that."</p> + +<p>Gefty grunted. "Any idea of what +he has locked up in the vault?"</p> + +<p>"You shouldn't ask me—" Her eyes +widened. "Why, that couldn't possibly +have anything to do with what's happened!"</p> + +<p>He might, Gefty thought, have reassured +her a little too much. He said, +"I wouldn't know. But I don't want to +just sit here and wonder about it until +Maulbow wakes up. Until we're +back in normspace, we'd better not +miss any bets. Because one thing's +sure—if this has happened to anybody +else, they didn't turn up again to +report it. You see?"</p> + +<p>Kerim apparently did. She went +pale, then said hesitantly, "Well ... +the sealed cases Mr. Maulbow brought +out from the Hub with him had some +very expensive instruments in them. +That's all I know. He's always trusted +me not to pry into his business any +more than my secretarial duties required, +and of course I haven't."</p> + +<p>"You don't know then what it was +he brought up from that moon a few +hours ago—those two big cases he +stowed away in the vault?"</p> + +<p>"No, I don't, Gefty. You see, he +hasn't told me what the purpose of +this trip is. I only know that it's a +matter of great importance to him." +Kerim paused, added, "From the careful +manner Mr. Maulbow handled the +cases with the cranes, I had the impression +that whatever was inside +them must be quite heavy."</p> + +<p>"I noticed that," Gefty said. It wasn't +much help. "Well, I'll tell <i>you</i> +something now," he went on. "I let +your boss keep both sets of keys to the +storage vault because he insisted on it +when he signed the charter. What I +didn't tell him was that I could make +up a duplicate set any time in +around half an hour."</p> + +<p>"Oh! Have you—?"</p> + +<p>"Not yet. But I intend to take a +look at what Mr. Maulbow's got in +that vault now, with or without his +consent. You'd better run along and +get dressed while I take him up to the +instrument room."</p> + +<p>"Why move him?" Kerim asked.</p> + +<p>"The instrument room's got an +overall safety field. I've turned it on +now, and if something starts banging +us around again, the room will be the +safest place on the ship. I'll bring his +personal luggage up too, and you can +start looking through it for the keys. +You may find them before I get a +new set made. Or he may wake up +and tell us where they are."</p> + +<p>Kerim Ruse gave her employer a +dubious glance, then nodded, said, "I +imagine you're right, Gefty," and pattered +hurriedly out of the stateroom. +A few minutes later, she arrived, fully +dressed, in the instrument room. +Gefty looked around from the table-shelf +where he had laid out his tools, +and said, "He hasn't stirred. His suitcases +are over there. I've unlocked +them."</p> + +<p>Kerim gazed at what showed in the +screens about the control console and +shivered slightly. She said, "I was +thinking, Gefty ... isn't there something +they call Space Three?"</p> + +<div class="figleft"> +<img src="images/002.png" width="258" height="500" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>"Sure. Pseudospace. But that isn't +where we are. There're some special-built +Navy tubs that can operate in +that stuff if they don't stay too long. +A ship like the <i>Queen</i> ... well, you +and I and everything else in here +would be frozen solid by now if we'd +got sucked somehow into Space +Three."</p> + +<p>"I see," Kerim said uncomfortably. +Gefty heard her move over to the +suitcases. After a moment, she asked, +"What do the vault keys look like?"</p> + +<p>"You can't miss them if he's just +thrown them in there. They're over +six inches long. What kind of a guy is +this Maulbow? A scientist?"</p> + +<p>"I couldn't say, Gefty. He's never +referred to himself as a scientist. I've +had this job a year and a half. Mr. +Maulbow is a very considerate employer +... one of the nicest men +I've known, really. But it was simply +understood that I should ask no questions +about the business beyond what +I actually needed to know for my +work."</p> + +<p>"What's the business called?"</p> + +<p>"Maulbow Engineering."</p> + +<p>"Big help," Gefty observed, somewhat +sourly. "Those instruments he +brought along ... he build those +himself?"</p> + +<p>"No, but I think he designed some +of them—probably most of them. +The companies he had doing the actual +work appeared to have a terrible +time getting everything exactly the +way Mr. Maulbow wanted it—There's +nothing that looks like a set of keys +in those first two suitcases, Gefty."</p> + +<p>"Well," Gefty said, "if you don't +find them in the others, you might +start thumping around to see if he's +got secret compartments in his luggage +somewhere."</p> + +<p>"I do wish," Kerim Ruse said uneasily, +"that Mr. Maulbow would regain +consciousness. It seems so ... +so underhanded to be doing these +things behind his back!"</p> + +<p>Gefty grunted noncommittally. He +wasn't at all certain by now that he +wanted his secretive client to wake +up before he'd checked on the contents +of the <i>Queen's</i> storage vault.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="cap">Fifteen minutes later, Gefty Rammer +was climbing down to the storage +deck in the <i>Queen's</i> broad stern, +the newly fashioned set of vault keys +clanking heavily in his coat pocket. +Kerim had remained with her employer +who was getting back his color +but still hadn't opened his eyes. She +hadn't found the original keys. Gefty +wasn't sure she'd tried too hard, +though she seemed to realize the seriousness +of the situation now. But her +loyalty to Mr. Maulbow could make +no further difference, and she probably +felt more comfortable for it.</p> + +<p>Lights went on automatically in +the wide passage leading from the +cargo lock to the vault as Gefty +turned into it. His steps echoed between +the steel bulkheads on either +side. He paused a moment before the +big circular vault doors, listening to +the purr of the <i>Queen's</i> idling engines +in the next compartment. The +familiar sound was somehow reassuring. +He inserted the first key, turned +it over twice, drew it out again and +pressed one of the buttons in the control +panel beside the door. The heavy +slab of steel moved sideways with a +soft, hissing sound, vanished into the +wall. Gefty slid the other key into the +lock of the inner door. A few seconds +later, the vault entrance lay open before +him.</p> + +<p>He stood still again, wrinkling his +nose. The area ahead was only dimly +illuminated—the shaking-up the +<i>Queen</i> had undergone had disturbed +the lighting system here. And what +was that odor? Rather sharp, unpleasant; +it might have been spilled ammonia. +Gefty stepped through the +door into the wide, short entrance +passage beyond it, turned to the right +and peered about in the semidarkness +of the vault.</p> + +<p>Two great steel cases—the ones +Maulbow had taken down to an airless +moon surface, loaded up with +something and brought back to the +<i>Queen</i>—were jammed awkwardly +into a corner, in a manner which suggested +they'd slid into it when the +ship was being knocked around. One +of them was open and appeared to be +empty. Gefty wasn't sure of the other. +In the dimness beside them lay the +loose coils of some very thick, dark +cable—And standing near the center +of the floor was a thing that at once +riveted his attention on it completely. +He sucked his breath in softly, feeling +chilled.</p> + +<p>He realized he hadn't really believed +his own hunch. But, of course, +if it hadn't been an unheard-of outside +force that plucked the <i>Queen</i> out +of normspace and threw her into this +elsewhere, then it must be something +Maulbow had put on board. And that +something had to be a machine of +some kind—</p> + +<p>It was.</p> + +<p>About it he could make out a thin +gleaming of wires—a jury-rigged +safety field. Within the flimsy-looking +protective cage was a double +bank of instruments, some of them +alive with the flicker and glow of +lights. Those must be the very expensive +and difficult-to-build items Maulbow +had brought out from the Hub. +Beside them stood the machine, squat +and ponderous. In the vague light, it +looked misshaped and discolored. A +piece of equipment that had taken a +bad beating of some kind. But it was +functioning. As he stared, intermittent +bursts of clicking noises rose +from it, like the staccato of irregular +gunfire.</p> + +<p>For a moment, questions raced in +disorder through his mind. What was +it? Why had it been on that moon? +Part of another ship, wrecked now +... a ship that had been at home +<i>here</i>? Was it some sort of drive?</p> + +<p>Maulbow must know. He'd known +enough to design the instruments required +to bring the battered monster +back to life. On the other hand, he +had not foreseen in all detail what +could happen once the thing was in +operation, because the <i>Queen's</i> sudden +buck-jumping act had surprised +him and knocked him out.</p> + +<p>The first step, in any event, was to +get Maulbow awake now. To tamper +with a device like this, before learning +as much as one could about it, +would be lunatic foolhardiness. It +looked like too good a bet that the +next serious mistake made by anybody +would finish them all—</p> + +<p>Perhaps it was only because Gefty's +nerves were on edge that he grew +aware at that point in his reflections +of two minor signals from his senses. +One was that the smell of ammonia, +which he had almost stopped noticing, +was becoming appreciably +stronger. The other was the faintest +of sounds—a whispering suggestion +of motion somewhere behind him. +But here in the storage vault nothing +should have moved, and Gefty's muscles +were tensing as his head came +around. Almost in the same instant, +he flung himself wildly to one side, +stumbling and regaining his balance +as something big and dark slapped +heavily down on the floor at the +point where he had stood. Then he +was darting up through the entrance +passage, turning, and knocking down +the lock switches on the outside door +panel.</p> + +<p>It came flowing around the corner +of the passage behind him as the +vault doors began to slide together. +He was aware mainly of swift, +smooth, oiling motion like that of a +big snake; then, for a fraction of a +second, a strip of brighter light from +the outside passage showed a long, +heavy wedge of a head, a green metal-glint +of staring eyes.</p> + +<p>The doors closed silently into their +frames and locked. The thing was inside. +But it was almost a minute then +before Gefty could control his shaking +legs enough to start moving back +towards the main deck. In the half-dark +of the vault, it had looked like a +big coiled cable lying next to the +packing cases. Like Maulbow, it might +have been battered around and +knocked out during the recent disturbance; +and when it recovered, it +had found Gefty in the vault with it. +But it might also have been awake +all the while, waiting cunningly until +Gefty's attention seemed fixed elsewhere +before launching its attack. It +was big enough to have flattened him +and smashed every bone in his body +if the stroke had landed.</p> + +<p>Some kind of guard animal—a +snakelike watchdog? What other connection +could it have with the mystery machine? +Perhaps Maulbow had +intended to leave it confined in one +of the cases, and it had broken loose—</p> + +<p>Too many questions by now, Gefty +thought. But Maulbow had the answers.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="cap">He was hurrying up the main +deck's central passage when Maulbow's +voice addressed him sharply +from a door he'd just passed.</p> + +<p>"Stop right there, Rammer! Don't +dare to move! I—"</p> + +<p>The voice ended on a note of surprise. +Gefty's reaction had not been +too rational, but it was prompt. Maulbow's +tone and phrasing implied he +was armed. Gefty wasn't, but he kept +a gun in the instrument room for +emergencies. He'd been through a +whole series of unnerving experiences, +winding up with being shagged +out of his storage vault by something +that stank of ammonia and looked +like a giant snake. To have one of the +<i>Queen's</i> passengers order him to +stand where he was topped it off. Every +other consideration was swept +aside by a great urge to get his hands +on his gun.</p> + +<p>He glanced back, saw Maulbow +coming out of the half-opened door, +something like a twenty-inch, thin, +white rod in one hand. Then Gefty +went bounding on along the passage, +hunched forward and zigzagging from +wall to wall to give Maulbow—if the +thing he held was a weapon and he +actually intended to use it—as small +and erratic a target as possible. Maulbow +shouted angrily behind him. +Then, as Gefty came up to the next +cross-passage, a line of white fire +seared through the air across his +shoulders and smashed off the passage +wall.</p> + +<p>With that, he was around the corner, +and boiling mad. He had no +great liking for gunfire, but it didn't +shake him like the silently attacking +beast in the dark storage had done. +He reached the deserted instrument +room not many seconds later, had his +gun out and cocked, and was faced +back towards the passage by which he +had entered. Maulbow, if he had pursued +without hesitation, should be arriving +by now. But the passage stayed +quiet. Gefty couldn't see into it from +where he stood. He waited, trying to +steady his breathing, wondering +where Kerim Ruse was and what had +got into Maulbow. After a moment, +without taking his eyes from the passage +entrance, he reached into the +wall closet from which he had taken +the gun and fished out another souvenir +of his active service days, a thin-bladed +knife in a slip-sheath. Gefty +worked the fastenings of the sheath +over his left wrist and up his forearm +under his coat, tested the release to +make sure it was functioning, and +shook his coat sleeve back into place.</p> + +<p>The passage was still quiet. Gefty +moved softly over to one of the +chairs, took a small cushion from it +and pitched it out in front of the +entrance.</p> + +<p>There was a hiss. The cushion +turned in midair into a puff of bright +white fire. Gefty aimed his gun high +at the far passage wall just beyond +the entrance and pulled the trigger. +It was a projectile gun. He heard the +slug screech off the slick plastic bulkhead +and go slamming down the passage. +Somebody out there made a +startled, incoherent noise. But not the +kind of a noise a man makes when +he's just been hit.</p> + +<p>"If you come in here armed," Gefty +called, "I'll blow your head off. Want +to stop this nonsense now?"</p> + +<p>There was a moment's silence. +Then Maulbow's voice replied shakily +from the passage. He seemed to be +standing about twenty feet back from +the room.</p> + +<p>"If you'll end your thoughtless attempts +at interference, Rammer," he +said, "there will be no trouble." He +was speaking with the restraint of a +man who is in a state of cold fury. +"You're endangering us all. You must +realize that you have no understanding +of what you are doing."</p> + +<p>Well, the last could be true enough. +"We'll talk about it," Gefty said without +friendliness. "I haven't done anything +yet, but I'm not just handing the +ship over to you. And what have you +done with Miss Ruse?"</p> + +<p>Maulbow hesitated again. "She's in +the map room," he said then. "I ... +it was necessary to restrict her movements +for a while. But you might as +well let her out now. We must reach +an agreement without loss of time."</p> + +<p>Gefty glanced over his shoulder at +the small closed door of the map +room. There was no lock on the door, +and he had heard no sound from inside; +this might be some trick. But it +wouldn't take long to find out. He +backed up to the wall, pushed the +door open and looked inside.</p> + +<p>Kerim was there, sitting on a chair +in one corner of the tiny room. The +reason she hadn't made any noise became +clear. She and the chair were +covered by a rather closely fitting +sack of transparent, glistening fabric. +She stared out through it despairingly +at Gefty, her lips moving urgently. +But no sound came from the sack.</p> + +<p>Gefty called angrily, "Maulbow—"</p> + +<p>"Don't excite yourself, Rammer." +There was a suggestion of what might +be contempt in Maulbow's tone now. +"The girl hasn't been harmed. She can +breathe easily through the restrainer. +And you can remove it by pulling at +the material from outside."</p> + +<p>Gefty's mouth tightened. "I'll keep +my gun on the passage while I do +it—"</p> + +<p>Maulbow didn't answer. Gefty +edged back into the map room, tentatively +grasped the transparent stuff +above Kerim's shoulder. To his surprise, +it parted like wet tissue. He +pulled sharply, and in a moment +Kerim came peeling herself out of it, +her face tear-stained, working desperately +with hands, elbows and shoulders.</p> + +<p>"Gefty," she gasped, "he ... Mr. +Maulbow—"</p> + +<p>"He's out in the passage there," +Gefty said. "He can hear you." His +glance shifted for an instant to the +wall where a second of the shroudlike +transparencies was hanging. And who +could that have been intended for, he +thought, but Gefty Rammer? He +added, "We've had a little trouble."</p> + +<p>"Oh!" She looked out of the room +towards the passage, then at the gun +in Gefty's hand, then up at his face.</p> + +<p>"Maulbow," Gefty went on, speaking +distinctly enough to make sure +Maulbow heard, "has a gun, too. He'll +stay there in the passage and we'll +stay in the instrument room until we +agree on what should be done. He's +responsible for what's happened and +seems to know where we are."</p> + +<p>He looked at Kerim's frightened +eyes, dropped his voice to a whisper. +"Don't let this worry you too much. I +haven't found out just what he's up +to, but so far his tricks have pretty +much backfired. He was counting on +taking us both by surprise, for one +thing. That didn't work, so now he'd +like us to co-operate."</p> + +<p>"Are you going to?"</p> + +<p>Gefty shrugged. "Depends on what +he has in mind. I'm just interested in +getting us out of this alive. Let's hear +what Maulbow has to say—"</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="cap">Some minutes later Gefty was trying +to decide whether it was taking a +worse risk to believe what Maulbow +said than to keep things stalled on +the chance that he was lying.</p> + +<p>Kerim Ruse, perched stiffly erect +on the edge of a chair, eyes big and +round, face almost colorless, apparently +believed Maulbow and was +wishing she didn't. There was, of +course, some supporting evidence +... primarily the improbable appearance +of their surroundings. The +pencil-thin fire-spouter and the sleazy-looking +"restrainer" had a sufficiently +unfamiliar air to go with Maulbow's +story; but as far as Gefty knew, either +of them could have been manufactured +in the Hub.</p> + +<p>Then there was the janandra—the +big, snakish thing in the storage +which Maulbow had brought back up +from the moon along with the battered +machine. It had been, he said, +his shipboard companion on another +voyage. It wasn't ordinarily aggressive—Gefty's +sudden appearance in +the vault must have startled it into +making an attack. It was not exactly a +pet. There was a psychological relationship +between it and Maulbow +which Maulbow would not attempt +to explain because Gefty and Kerim +would be unable to grasp its significance. +The janandra was essential, in +this unexplained manner, to his well-being.</p> + +<p>That item was almost curious +enough to seem to substantiate his +other statements; but it didn't really +prove anything. The only point Gefty +didn't question in the least was that +they were in a bad spot which might +be getting worse rapidly. His gaze +shifted back to the screens. What he +saw out there, surrounding the ship, +was, according to Maulbow, an illusion +of space created by the time flow +in which they were moving.</p> + +<p>Also according to Maulbow, there +was a race of the future, human in appearance, +with machines to sail the +current of time through the universe—to +run and tack with the winds of +time, dipping in and out of the normspace +of distant periods and galaxies +as they chose. Maulbow, one of the +explorers, had met disaster a million +light-years from the home of his kind, +centuries behind them, his vehicle +wrecked on an airless moon with +damaged control unit and shattered +instruments. He had made his way to +a human civilization to obtain the +equipment he needed, and returned +at last with the <i>Silver Queen</i> to where +the time-sailer lay buried.</p> + +<p>Gefty's lip curled. No, he wasn't +buying all that just yet—but if Maulbow +was <i>not</i> lying, then the unseen +stars were racing past, the mass of the +galaxy beginning to slide by, eventually +to be lost forever beyond a +black distance no space drive could +span. The matter simply had to be +settled quickly. But Maulbow was +also strained and impatient, and if his +impatience could be increased a little +more, he might start telling the +things that really mattered, the things +Gefty had to know. Gefty asked slowly, +as if hesitant to commit himself, +"Why did you bring us along?"</p> + +<p>The voice from the passage +snapped, "Because my resources were +nearly exhausted, Rammer! I couldn't +obtain a new ship. Therefore I chartered +yours; and you came with it. As +for Miss Ruse—in spite of every precaution, +my activities may have +aroused suspicion and curiosity among +your people. When I disappeared, +Miss Ruse might have been questioned. +I couldn't risk being followed +to the wreck of the sailer, so I took +her with me. And what does that +mean against what I have offered +you? The greatest adventure—followed, +I give you my solemn word, +by a safe return to your own place and +time, and the most generous compensations +for any inconvenience you +may have suffered!"</p> + +<p>Kerim, looking up at Gefty, shook +her head violently. Gefty said, "We +find it difficult to take you on trust +now, Maulbow. Why do you want to +get into the instrument room?"</p> + +<p>Maulbow was silent for some seconds. +Then he said, "As I told you, +this ship would not have been buffeted +about during the moments of +transfer if the control unit were operating +with complete efficiency. Certain +adjustments will have to be made +in the unit, and this should be done +promptly."</p> + +<hr /> + +<p>"Where do the ship instruments +come in?" Gefty asked.</p> + +<p>"I can determine the nature of the +problem from them. When I was +... stranded ... the unit was seriously +damaged. My recent repairs +were necessarily hasty. I—"</p> + +<div class="figcenter"> +<img src="images/003.png" width="600" height="435" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>"What caused the crack-up?"</p> + +<p>Maulbow said, tone taut with impatience, +"Certain sections of the +Great Current are infested with dangerous +forces. I shall not attempt to +describe them ..."</p> + +<p>"I wouldn't get it?"</p> + +<p>"I don't pretend to understand +them very well myself, Rammer. They +are not life but show characteristics of +life—even of intelligent life. If you +can imagine radiant energy being capable +of conscious hostility...."</p> + +<p>There was a chill at the back of +Gefty's neck. "A big, fast-moving +light?"</p> + +<p>"Yes!" Sharp concern showed suddenly +in the voice from the passage. +"You ... when did you see that?"</p> + +<p>Gefty glanced at the screens. +"Twice since you've been talking. +And once before—immediately after +we got tumbled around."</p> + +<p>"Then we can waste no more time, +Rammer. Those forces are sensitive +to the fluctuations of the control unit. +If they were close enough to be seen, +they're aware the ship is here. They +were attempting to locate it."</p> + +<p>"What could they do?"</p> + +<p>Maulbow said, "A single attack was +enough to put the control unit out of +operation in my sailer. The Great +Current then rejected us instantly. A +ship of this size might afford more +protection, which is the reason I chose +it. But if the control unit is not adjusted +immediately to enable it to +take us out of this section, the attacks +will continue until the ship—and we—have +been destroyed."</p> + +<p>Gefty drew a deep breath. "There's +another solution to that problem, +Maulbow. Miss Ruse and I prefer it. +And if you meant what you said—that +you'd see to it we got back eventually—you +shouldn't object either."</p> + +<p>The voice asked sharply, "What do +you mean?"</p> + +<p>Gefty said, "Shut the control unit +off. From what you were saying, that +throws us automatically back into +normspace, while we're still close +enough to the Hub. You'll find plenty +of people there who'll stake you to a +trip to the future if they can go along +and are convinced they'll return. Miss +Ruse and I don't happen to be that +adventurous."</p> + +<p>There was silence from the passage. +Gefty added, "Take your time +to make up your mind about it, if you +want to. I don't like the idea of those +lights hitting us, but neither do you. +And I think I can wait this out as +well as you can...."</p> + +<p>The silence stretched out. Presently +Gefty said, "If you do accept, slide +that fire-shooting device of yours into +the room before you show up. We +don't want accidents."</p> + +<p>He paused again. Kerim was chewing +her lips, hands clenched into +small fists in her lap. Then Maulbow +answered, voice flat and expressionless +now.</p> + +<p>"The worst thing we can do at +present," he said, "is to prolong a dispute +about possible courses of action. +If I disarm, will you lay aside your +gun?"</p> + +<p>"Yes."</p> + +<p>"Then I accept your conditions, +disappointing as they are."</p> + +<p>He was silent. After a moment, +Gefty heard the white rod clatter +lightly along the floor of the passage. +It struck the passage wall, spun off it, +and rolled into the instrument room, +coming to rest a few feet away from +him. Gefty hesitated, picked it up +and laid it on the wall table. He +placed his own gun beside it, moved a +dozen steps away. Kerim's eyes followed +him anxiously.</p> + +<p>"Gefty," she whispered, "he might ..."</p> + +<p>Gefty looked at her, formed the +words "It's all right" with his mouth +and called, "Guns have been put +aside, Maulbow. Come on in, and +let's keep it peaceable."</p> + +<p>He waited, arms hanging loosely at +his side, heart beating heavily, as +quick footsteps came up the passage. +Maulbow appeared in the entrance, +glanced at Gefty and Kerim, then +about the room. His gaze rested for a +moment on the wall table, shifted +back to Gefty. Maulbow came on into +the room, turning towards Gefty, +mouth twisting.</p> + +<p>He said softly, "It is not our practice, +Rammer, to share the secrets of +the Great Current with other races. I +hadn't foreseen that you might become +a dangerous nuisance. But now—"</p> + +<p>His right hand began to lift, half +closed about some small golden instrument. +Gefty's left arm moved +back and quickly forwards.</p> + +<p>The service knife slid out of its +sheath and up from his palm as an arrow +of smoky blackness burst from +the thing in Maulbow's hand. The +blackness came racing with a thin, +snarling noise across the floor towards +Gefty's feet. The knife flashed above +it, turning, and stood hilt-deep in +Maulbow's chest.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="cap">Gefty returned a few minutes later +from the forward cabin which served +as the <i>Queen's</i> sick bay, and said to +Kerim, "He's still alive, though I +don't know why. He may even recover. +He's full of anesthetic, and that +should keep him quiet till we're back +in normspace. Then I'll see what we +can do for him."</p> + +<p>Kerim had lost some of her white, +shocked look while he was gone. +"You knew he would try to kill you?" +she asked shakily.</p> + +<p>"Suspected he had it in mind—he +gave in too quick. But I thought I'd +have a chance to take any gadget he +was hiding away from him first. I +was wrong about that. Now we'd better +move fast ..."</p> + +<p>He switched the emergency check +panel back on, glanced over the familiar +patterns of lights and numbers. +A few minor damage spots were +indicated, but the ship was still fully +operational. One minor damage spot +which did not appear on the panel +was now to be found in the instrument +room itself, in the corner on +which the door of the map room +opened. The door, the adjoining bulkheads +and section of flooring were +scarred, blackened, and as assortedly +malodorous as burned things tend to +become. That was where Gefty had +stood when Maulbow entered the +room, and if he had remained there +an instant after letting go of the +knife, he would have been in very +much worse condition than the essentially +fireproof furnishings.</p> + +<p>Both Maulbow's weapons—the +white rod lying innocently on the +wall table and the round, golden device +which had dropped from his +hand spitting darts of smoking blackness—had +blasted unnervingly away +into that area for almost thirty seconds +after Maulbow was down and +twisting about on the floor. Then he +went limp and the firing instantly +stopped. Apparently, Maulbow's control +of them had ended as he lost consciousness.</p> + +<p>It seemed fortunate that the sick +bay cabin's emergency treatment accessories, +gentle as their action was, +might have been designed for the +specific purpose of keeping the most +violent of prisoners immobilized—let +alone one with a terrible knife +wound in him. At the angle along +which the knife had driven in and up +below the ribs, an ordinary man +would have been dead in seconds. +But it was very evident now that +Maulbow was no ordinary man, and +even after the eerie weapons had +been pitched out of the ship through +the instrument room's disposal tube, +Gefty couldn't rid himself of an uncomfortable +suspicion that he wasn't +done with Maulbow yet—wouldn't be +done with him, in fact, until one or +the other of them was dead.</p> + +<p>He said to Kerim, "I thought the +machine Maulbow set up in the storage +vault would turn out to be some +drive engine, but apparently it has an +entirely different function. He connected +it with the instruments he +had made in the Hub, and together +they form what he calls a control unit. +The emergency panel would show if +the unit were drawing juice from the +ship. It isn't, and I don't know what +powers it. But we do know now that +the control unit is holding us in the +time current, and it will go on holding +us there as long as it's in operation.</p> + +<p>"If we could shut it off, the <i>Queen</i> +would be 'rejected' by the current, +like Maulbow's sailer was. In other +words, we'd get knocked back into +normspace—which is what we want. +And we want it to happen as soon as +possible because, if Maulbow was +telling the truth on that point, every +minute that passes here is taking us +farther away from the Hub, and farther +from our own time towards his."</p> + +<p>Kerim nodded, eyes intent on his +face.</p> + +<p>"Now I can't just go down there +and start slapping switches around on +the thing," Gefty went on. "He said it +wasn't working right, and even if it +were, I couldn't tell what would happen. +But it doesn't seem to connect +up with any ship systems—it just +seems to be holding us in a field of its +own. So I should be able to move the +whole unit into the cargo lock and +eject it from there. If we shift the +<i>Queen</i> outside its field, that should +have the same effect as shutting the +control unit off. It should throw us +back into normspace."</p> + +<p>Kerim nodded again. "What about +Mr. Maulbow's janandra animal?"</p> + +<p>Gefty shrugged. "Depends on the +mood I find it in. He said it wasn't +usually aggressive. Maybe it isn't. I'll +get into a spacesuit for protection +and break out some of the mining +equipment to move it along with. If +I can maneuver it into an empty compartment +where it will be out of +the ..."</p> + +<hr /> + +<p>He broke off, expression changing, +eyes fastened on the emergency panel. +Then he turned hurriedly, reached +across the side of the console for the +intership airseal controls. Kerim +asked apprehensively, "What's the +matter, Gefty?"</p> + +<p>"Wish I knew ... exactly." Gefty +indicated the emergency panel. "Little +red light there, on the storage +deck section—it wasn't showing a +minute ago. It means that the vault +doors have been opened since then."</p> + +<p>He saw the same half-superstitious +fear appear in her face that had +touched him. "You think <i>he</i> did it?"</p> + +<p>"I don't know." Maulbow's control +of the guns had seemed uncanny +enough. But that was a different matter. +The guns were a product of his +own time and science. But the vault +door mechanisms? There might have +been sufficient opportunity for Maulbow +to study them and alter them, +for some purpose of his own, since +he'd come aboard....</p> + +<p>"I've got the ship compartments +and decks sealed off from each other +now," Gefty said slowly. "The only +connecting points from one to the +other are personnel hatches—they're +small air locks. So the janandra's confined +to the storage deck. If it's come +out of the vault, it might be a nuisance +until I can get equipment to +handle it. But that isn't too serious. +The spacesuits are on the second +deck, and I'll get into one before I +go on to the storage. You wait here a +moment, I'll look in on Maulbow +again before I start."</p> + +<p>If Maulbow wasn't still unconscious, +he was doing a good job of +feigning it. Gefty looked at the pale, +lax face, the half-shut eyes, shook his +head and left the cabin, locking it behind +him. It mightn't be Maulbow's +doing, but having the big snake loose +in the storage could, in fact, make +things extremely awkward now. He +didn't think his gun would make +much impression on anything of that +size, and while several of the ship's +mining tools could be employed as +very effective close-range weapons, +they happened, unfortunately, to be +stored away on the same deck.</p> + +<p>He found Kerim standing in the +center of the instrument room, waiting +for him.</p> + +<p>"Gefty," she said, "do you notice +anything? An odd sort of smell...."</p> + +<p>Then the odor was in Gefty's nostrils, +too, and the back of his neck +turned to ice as he recognized it. He +glanced up at the ventilation outlet, +looked back at Kerim.</p> + +<p>He took her arm, said softly, "Come +this way. Keep very quiet! I don't +know how it happened, but the janandra's +on the main deck now. That's +what it smells like. The smell's coming +through the ventilation system, so +the thing's moving around in the +port section. We'll go the other way."</p> + +<p>Kerim whispered, "What will we +do?"</p> + +<p>"Get ourselves into spacesuits first, +and then get Maulbow's control unit +out of the ship. The janandra may be +looking around for him. If it is, it +won't bother us."</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="cap">He hadn't wanted to remind Kerim +that, from what Maulbow said, there +might be more than one reason for +getting rid of the control unit as +quickly as possible. But it had been +constantly in the back of his mind; +and twice, in the few minutes that +passed after Maulbow's strange weapons +were silenced, he had seen a +momentary pale glare appear in the +unquiet flow of darkness reflecting in +the viewscreens. Gefty had said nothing, +because if it was true that hostile +forces were alert and searching for +them here, it added to their immediate +danger but not at all to the absolute +need to free themselves from the +inexorable rush of the Great Current +before they were carried beyond hope +of return to their civilization.</p> + +<p>But those brief glimpses did add to +the sense of urgency throbbing in +Gefty's nerves, while events, and the +equally hard necessity to avoid a fatally +mistaken move in this welter of +unknown factors, kept blocking him. +Now the mysterious manner in which +Maulbow's unpleasant traveling companion +had appeared on the main +deck made it impossible to do anything +but keep Kerim at his side. If +Maulbow was still capable of taking a +hand in matters, there was no reasonably +safe place to leave her aboard +the <i>Queen</i>.</p> + +<p>And Maulbow might be capable of +it. Twice as they hurried up the narrow, +angled passages along the +<i>Queen's</i> curving hull towards an airseal +leading to the next compartment, +Gefty caught a trace of the ammonia-like +animal odor coming over the +ventilating system. They reached the +lock without incident; but then, as +they came along the second deck hall +to the ship's magazine, there was a +sharp click in the stillness behind +them. Its meaning was disconcertingly +apparent. Gefty hesitated, turned +Kerim into a side passage, guided +her along it.</p> + +<p>She looked up at his face. "It's following +us?"</p> + +<p>"Seems to be." No time for the +spacesuits in the magazine now—something +had just emerged from the +air lock through which they had entered +the second deck not many moments +before. He helped the girl +quickly down a section of ladderlike +stairs to the airseal connecting the +second deck with the storage, punched +a wall button there. As the lock door +opened, there was another noise from +the passage they had just left, as if +something had thudded briefly and +heavily against one of the bulkheads. +Kerim uttered a little gasp. Then +they were in the lock, and Gefty +slapped down two other buttons, +stood watching the door behind them +snap shut and, a few seconds later, the +one on the far side open on the dark +storage deck.</p> + +<p>They scrambled down another +twelve feet of ladder to the floor of a +side passage, hearing the lock snap +shut behind them. As it closed, they +were in complete darkness. Gefty +seized Kerim's arm, ran with her up +the passage to the left, guiding himself +with his fingertips on the left +bulkhead. When they came to a corner, +he turned her to the left again. A +few seconds later, he pulled open a +small door, bundled the girl through, +came in himself, and shut the door to +a narrow slit behind them.</p> + +<p>Kerim whispered shakily, "What +will we do now, Gefty?"</p> + +<p>"Stay here for the moment. It'll +look for us in the vault first."</p> + +<p>And it should go to the storage +vault first where it had been guarding +Maulbow's machine, to hunt for them +there. But it might not. Gefty eased +the gun from his pocket on the far +side of Kerim. Across the dark compartment +was another door. They +could retreat a little farther here if it +became necessary—but not very +much farther.</p> + +<p>They waited in a silence that was +complete except for their unsteady +breathing and the distant, deep pulse +of the <i>Queen's</i> throttled-down drives. +He felt Kerim trembling against him. +How did Maulbow's creature move +through the airseal locks? The operating +mechanisms were simple—a +dog might have been taught to use +them. But a dog had paws....</p> + +<p>There came the soft hiss of the +opening lock, the faintest shimmer of +light to the right of the passage +mouth he was watching through the +door. A heavy thump on the floor below +the locks followed, then a hard +click as the lock closed and complete +darkness returned.</p> + +<p>The silence resumed. Seconds +dragged on. Gefty's imagination pictured +the thing waiting, its great, +wedge-shaped head raised as its senses +probed the dark about it for a sign of +the two human beings. Then a vague +rushing noise began, growing louder +as it approached the passage mouth, +crossing it, receding rapidly again to +the left.</p> + +<p>Gefty let his breath out slowly, +eased the door open and stood listening +again. Abruptly, there was reflected +light in the lock passage, coming +now from the left. He said in a +whisper, "It's moving around in the +main hall, Kerim. We can go on the +other way now, but we'll have to be +fast and keep quiet. I've thought of +how we can get rid of that thing."</p> + +<hr /> + +<p>The cargo lock on the storage deck +had two inner doors. The one which +opened into the side of the vault hall +was built to allow passage of the +largest chunks of freight the <i>Queen</i> +was likely to be burdened with; it was +almost thirty feet wide and twenty +high. The second door was just large +enough to let a man in a spacesuit +climb in and out of the side of the +lock without using the freight door. +It opened on a tiny control cubicle +from which the lock's mechanisms +were operated during loading processes.</p> + +<div class="figright"> +<img src="images/004.png" width="472" height="500" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>Gefty let Kerim and himself into +the cubicle from one of the passages, +steered the girl through the pitch +blackness of the little room to the +chair before the control panel and +told her to sit down. He groped for a +moment at the side of the panel, +found a knob and twisted it. There +was a faint click. A scattering of pale +lights appeared suddenly on the panel, +a dark viewscreen, set at a tilt +above them, reflecting their gleam.</p> + +<p>Gefty explained in a low voice, +"Left side of that screen covers the +lock. Right one covers the big hall +outside. No lights in either at the +moment, so you don't see anything. +Only way the cargo door to the hall +can be opened or closed is with these +switches right here. What I want to +do is get the janandra into the lock, +slam the door on it and lock down +the control switches. Then we've got +it trapped."</p> + +<p>"But how are you going to get it to +go in there?"</p> + +<p>"No real problem—I'll be three +jumps ahead of it. Then I duck back +up into this cubicle, and lock both +doors. And it'll be inside the lock. +You have the picture now?"</p> + +<p>Kerim said unsteadily, "I do. But it +sounds awfully risky, Gefty."</p> + +<p>"Well, I don't like it either," Gefty +admitted. "So I'll start right now before +I lose my nerve. As soon as I +move out into the vault hall, the +lighting will go on. That's automatic. +You watch the right side of the +screen. If you see the janandra coming +before I do, yell as loud as you +can."</p> + +<p>He shifted the two inner door +switches to the right. A red spark appeared +in the dark viewscreen, high +up near the center. A second red +light showed on the cubicle bulkhead +beside Gefty. Beneath it an oblong +section of the bulkhead turned silently +away on heavy hinges, became a +door two feet in thickness, which +stood jutting out at a right angle into +the darkness of the cargo lock. A +wave of cold air moved through it +into the control cubicle.</p> + +<p>On the screen, another red spark +appeared beside the first one.</p> + +<p>"Both doors are open now," Gefty +murmured to the girl. "The janandra +isn't in the vault hall or the lighting +would have turned on, but it may +have heard the door open and be on +its way. So keep watching the screen."</p> + +<p>"I certainly will!" she whispered +shakily.</p> + +<p>Gefty took an oversized wrench +from the wall, climbed quickly and +quietly down the three ladder steps +to the floor of the lock, and walked +across it to the sill of the giant freight +door, which now had swung out and +down into the vault hall, fitting itself +into a depression of the flooring. He +hesitated an instant on the sill, then +stepped out into the big dark hall. +Light filled it immediately in both +directions.</p> + +<p>He stood quiet, intent on the storage +vault entrance far up the hall to +his left. He could see the vault was +open. The janandra might still be inside +it. But the seconds passed, and +the dark entrance remained silent and +there was no suggestion of motion +beyond it. Gefty glanced to the right, +moved a dozen steps farther out into +the hall, hefted the wrench and spun +it through the air towards the ventilator +frame on the opposite bulkhead.</p> + +<p>The heavy tool clanged loudly +against the frame, bounced off and +thudded to the floor. Gefty started +slowly over to it, heart pounding, +with the vault entrance still at the +edge of his vision.</p> + +<p>Kerim's voice screamed, "<i>Gefty, it's</i>—"</p> + +<p>He spun around, sprinted back to +the cargo lock. The janandra had +come silently out of the nearest side +passage behind him, was approaching +with the remembered oiling swiftness +of motion, its great head lifted a +yard from the floor. Gefty plunged +through the lock, jumped for the top +of the cubicle door steps, came stumbling +into the cubicle. Kerim was on +her feet, staring. He swung the cubicle +door switch to the left, slapping it +flat to the panel. The door snapped +back into the wall behind him with a +force that shook the floor.</p> + +<p>On the screen, the janandra's thick, +dark worm-shape was swinging +around in the dim lock to regain the +open hall. It had seen the trap. But +the freight door switch went flat beside +the other, and the freight door +rose with massive swiftness. The +heavy body smashed against it, went +sliding back to the floor as the door +slammed shut and the screen section +showing the cargo lock turned dark.</p> + +<p>"Got it—got it—got it!" Gefty +heard himself whispering exultantly. +He switched on the lock's interior +lights.</p> + +<p>Then he swore softly, and, beside +him, Kerim sucked in her breath.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="cap">The screen showed the janandra in +violent but apparently purposeful motion +inside the lock ... and it was +also apparent now that it was a more +complexly constructed creature than +the long worm-body and heavy head +had indicated. The skin, to a distance +of some eight feet back of the head, +had spread out into a wide, flexible +frill. From beneath the frill extended +half a dozen jointed, bone-white arms, +along with waving, ribbonlike appendages +less easy to define. The +thing was reared half up along the +hall door, inspecting its surface with +these members; then suddenly it flung +itself around and flashed over to the +outer lock door. Three arms shot out; +wiry fingers caught the three spin-locks +simultaneously, began to whirl +them.</p> + +<p>Gefty said, staring, "Kerim, it's going +to ..."</p> + +<p>The janandra didn't. The motion +checked suddenly, was reversed. The +locks drew tight again. The janandra +swung back from the door, lifting +half its length upwards, big head +weaving about as it inspected the tool +racks overhead. An arm reached suddenly, +snatched something from one +of the racks. Then the thing turned +again; and in the next instant its +head filled the viewscreen. Kerim +made a choked sound of fright, jerking +back against Gefty. The bulging, +metal-green eyes seemed to stare directly +at him. And the screen went +black.</p> + +<p>Kerim whispered, "Wha ... what +happened, Gefty?"</p> + +<p>Gefty swallowed, said, "It smashed +the view pickup. Must have guessed +we were watching and didn't like it...." +He added, "I was beginning to +think Maulbow must be some kind of +superman. But it wasn't any remote-control +magic of his that let the janandra +out of the vault, and opened the +intership locks when it came up to +the main deck and followed us down +again. It was doing all that for itself. +It's Maulbow's partner, not his pet. +And it's probably got at least as good +a brain as anyone else on board behind +that ugly face."</p> + +<p>Kerim moistened her lips. "Can it +... could it get out again?"</p> + +<p>"Into the ship?" Gefty shook his +head decidedly. "Uh-uh. It could +dump itself out on the other side—and +it almost did before it realized +where it was and what it was about to +do. But the inner lock doors won't +open until someone opens them +right on this panel. No, the thing's +safely trapped. On the other hand ..."</p> + +<p>On the other hand, Gefty realized +that he wouldn't now be able to bring +himself to eject the janandra out of +the cargo lock and into the Great +Current. Its intentions obviously hadn't +been friendly, but its level of intelligence +was as good as his own, and +perhaps somewhat better; and at present +it was helpless. To dispose of it as +he'd had in mind would therefore be +the cold-blooded murder of an equal. +But so long as that ugly and formidable +shipmate of Maulbow's stayed in +the cargo lock, the lock couldn't be +used to get rid of the control unit in +the vault.</p> + +<p>A new solution presented itself +while Gefty was making a rapid and +rather desperate mental review of +various heavy-duty tools which might +be employed as weapons to force the +janandra into submission and haul it +off for confinement elsewhere in the +ship. Not impossible, but a highly +precarious and time-consuming operation +at best. Then another thought +occurred: the storage vault lay directly +against the hull of the <i>Queen</i>—</p> + +<p>How long to cut through the hull? +The ship's mining equipment was on +board, and the tools were self-powered. +Climb into a spacesuit, empty +the air from the entire storage deck, +leaving the janandra imprisoned in +the cargo lock ... with Maulbow +incapacitated in sick bay, and Kerim +back in the control compartment and +also in a suit, for additional protection. +Then cut ship's power to this +deck to avoid complications with the +<i>Queen's</i> involved circuitry and work +under space conditions—half an hour +if he hurried.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p>"Shouldn't take more than another +ten minutes," he informed Kerim +presently over the suit's intercom.</p> + +<p>"I'm very glad to hear it, Gefty." +She sounded shaky.</p> + +<p>"Anything going on in the +screens?" he asked.</p> + +<p>She hesitated a little, said, "No. +Not at the moment."</p> + +<p>Gefty grunted, blinked sweat from +his eyes, and took hold of the handgrips +of the heavy mining cutter +again, turning it nose down towards +the vault floor. The guide light found +the point he was working on, and the +slice beam stabbed out, began nibbling +delicately away to extend the +curving line it had eaten through the +<i>Queen's</i> thick skin. He had drawn a +twenty-five foot circle around Maulbow's +battered control unit and the +instruments attached to it, well outside +the fragile-looking safety field. +The circle was broken at four points +where he would plant explosives. The +explosives, going off together, should +shatter the connecting links with the +hull and throw the machine clear. If +that didn't release them immediately +from its influence, he would see what +putting the <i>Queen's</i> drives into action +would do.</p> + +<p>"Gefty?" Kerim's voice asked.</p> + +<p>"Uh-huh?"</p> + +<p>He could hear her swallow over the +intercom. "Those lights are back +now."</p> + +<p>"How many?"</p> + +<p>"Two," Kerim said. "I <i>think</i> they're +only two. They keep crossing back +and forth in front of us." She laughed +nervously. "It's idiotic, of course, but +I do get the feeling they're looking +at us."</p> + +<p>Gefty said hesitantly, "Everything's +set but I need another minute or two +to get this last connection whittled +down a little more. If I blow the +charge too soon, it mightn't take the +gadget clean out of the ship."</p> + +<p>Kerim said, "I know. I'll just watch +... they just disappeared again." +Her voice changed. "Now there's +something else."</p> + +<p>"What's that?"</p> + +<p>"You know you said to watch the +cargo lock lights on the emergency +panel."</p> + +<p>"Yes."</p> + +<p>"The outer lock door has just been +opened."</p> + +<p>"What!"</p> + +<p>"It must have been. The light +started blinking red just now as I was +looking at it."</p> + +<p>Gefty was silent a moment, his +mind racing. Why would the janandra +open the lock? From what Maulbow +had said, it could live for a while +without air, but it still could gain +nothing but eventual death from +leaving the ship—</p> + +<p>Unless, Gefty thought, the janandra +had become aware in some way +that he was about to blow their machine +out of the <i>Queen</i>. There were +grappling lines in the cargo lock, and +if four or five of those lines were +slapped to the circular section of the +hull he'd loosened ...</p> + +<p>"Kerim," he said.</p> + +<p>"Yes?"</p> + +<p>"I'm going to blow the deal right +now. Got your suit snapped to the +wall braces like I showed you?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, Gefty." Her voice was faint +but clear.</p> + +<p>He turned the cutter away from the +line it had dug, sent it rolling off towards +the far wall. He hurried around +the circle, checking the four charges, +lumbered over to the vault passage, +stopped just around the corner. He +took the firing box from his suit.</p> + +<p>"Ready, Kerim?" He opened the +box.</p> + +<p>"Ready...."</p> + +<p>"Here goes!" Gefty reached into +the box, twisted the firing handle. +Light flared in the vault. The deck +shook below him. He came stumbling +out from behind the wall.</p> + +<p>Maulbow's machine and its stand +of instruments had vanished. Where +it had stood was a dark circular hole. +Nothing else seemed to have happened. +Gefty clumped hurriedly over +to the mining cutter, swung it around, +started more cautiously back towards +the hole. He didn't have the faintest +idea what would come next, but a +definite possibility was that he would +see the janandra's dark form flowing +up over the rim of the hole. Letting it +run into the cutter beam might be the +best way to discourage it from re-entering +the <i>Queen</i>.</p> + +<div class="figcenter"> +<img src="images/005.png" width="600" height="349" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>Instead, a dazzling brilliance suddenly +blotted out everything. The +cutter was plucked from Gefty's +grasp; then he was picked up, suit +and all, and slammed up towards the +vault ceiling. He had a feeling that +inaudible thunders were shaking the +ship. He seemed to be rolling over +and over along the ceiling. At last, +the suit crashed into something which +showed a total disinclination to yield, +and Gefty blacked out.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="cap">The left side of his face felt pushed +out of shape; his left eye wasn't functioning +too well, and there was a severe +pulsing ache throughout the top +of his head. But Gefty felt happy.</p> + +<p>There were a few qualifying considerations.</p> + +<p>"Of course," he pointed out to +Kerim, "all we can really say immediately +is that we're back in normspace +and somewhere in the galaxy."</p> + +<p>She smiled shakily. "Isn't that saying +quite a lot, Gefty?"</p> + +<p>"It's something." Gefty glanced +around the instrument room. He had +placed an emergency light on the +console, but except for that, the control +compartment was in darkness. +The renewed battering the <i>Queen</i> +had absorbed had knocked out the +power in the forward section. The +viewscreens were black, every instrument +dead. But he'd seen the stars of +normspace through the torn vault +floor. It was something....</p> + +<p>"We might have the light that +slugged us to thank for that," he said. +"I'm not sure just what did happen +there, but it could have been Maulbow's +control unit it was attacking +rather than the ship. Maulbow said +the lights were sensitive to the unit. +At any rate, we're here, and we're rid +of the gadget—and of the janandra." +He hesitated. "I just don't feel you +should get your hopes too high. We +may find out we're a very long way +from the Hub."</p> + +<p>Kerim's large eyes showed a degree +of confidence which made him almost +uncomfortable. "If we are," she said +serenely, "you'll get us back somehow."</p> + +<p>Gefty cleared his throat. "Well, +we'll see. If the power shutoff is +something the <i>Queen's</i> repair scanners +can handle, the instruments will +come back on any minute. Give the +scanners ten minutes. If they haven't +done it by that time, they can't do it +and I'll have to play repairman. Then, +with the instruments working, we +can determine exactly where we are."</p> + +<p>Unless, he told himself silently, +they'd wound up in a distant cluster +never penetrated by the Federation's +mapping teams. And there was the +other little question of where they +now were in time. But Kerim looked +rosy with relief, and those details +could wait.</p> + +<p>He took up another emergency +light, switched it on and said, "I'll see +how Maulbow is doing while we're +waiting for power. If the first aid +treatment has pulled him through so +far, the autosurgeon probably can fix +him up."</p> + +<p>Kerim's face suddenly took on a +guilty expression. "I forgot all about +Mr. Maulbow!" She hesitated. +"Should I come along?"</p> + +<p>Gefty shook his head. "I won't need +help. And if it's a case for the surgeon, +you wouldn't like it. Those +things work painlessly, but it gets to +be a mess for a while."</p> + +<p>He shut off the light again when he +reached the sick bay which was running +on its independent power system. +As he opened the cabin door +from the dispensary, carrying the autosurgeon, +it became evident that +Maulbow was still alive but that he +might be in delirium. Gefty placed +the surgeon on the table, went over +to the bed and looked at Maulbow.</p> + +<p>To the extent that the emergency +treatment instruments' cautious restraints +permitted, Maulbow was +twisting slowly about on the bed. He +was speaking in a low, rapid voice, +his face distorted by emotion. The +words were not slurred, but they were +in a language Gefty didn't know. It +seemed clear that Maulbow had reverted +mentally to his own time, and +for some seconds he remained unaware +that Gefty had entered the +room. Then, surprisingly, the slitted +blue eyes opened wider and focused +on Gefty's face. And Maulbow +screamed with rage.</p> + +<p>Gefty felt somewhat disconcerted. +For the reason alone that he was under +anesthetic, Maulbow should not +have been conscious. But he was. The +words were now ones Gefty could +understand, and Maulbow was telling +him things which would have been +interesting enough under different +circumstances. Gefty broke in as +soon as he could.</p> + +<p>"Look," he said quietly, "I'm trying +to help you. I ..."</p> + +<p>Maulbow interrupted him in turn, +not at all quietly. Gefty listened a +moment longer, then shrugged. So +Maulbow didn't like him. He couldn't +say honestly that he'd ever liked +Maulbow much, and what he was +hearing made him like Maulbow considerably +less. But he would keep the +man from the future alive if he +could.</p> + +<p>He positioned the autosurgeon behind +the head of the bed to allow the +device to begin its analysis, stood +back at its controls where he could +both follow the progress it made and +watch Maulbow without exciting +him further by remaining within his +range of vision. After a moment, the +surgeon shut off the first-aid instruments +and made unobtrusive use of +a heavy tranquilizing drug. Then it +waited.</p> + +<p>Maulbow should have lapsed into +passive somnolence thirty seconds +afterwards. But the drug seemed to +produce no more effect on him mentally +than the preceding anesthetic. +He raged and screeched on. Gefty +watched him uneasily, knowing now +that he was looking at insanity. There +was nothing more he could do at the +moment—the autosurgeon's decisions +were safer than any nonprofessional's +guesswork. And the surgeon +continued to wait.</p> + +<p>Then, abruptly, Maulbow died. +The taut body slumped against the +bed and the contorted features relaxed. +The eyes remained half open; +and when Gefty came around to the +side of the bed, they still seemed to +be looking up at him, but they no +longer moved. A thin trickle of blood +started from the side of the slack +mouth and stopped again.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p>The control compartment was still +darkened and without power when +Gefty returned to it. He told Kerim +briefly what had happened, added, +"I'm not at all sure now he was even +human. I'd rather believe he wasn't."</p> + +<p>"Why that, Gefty?" She was studying +his expression soberly.</p> + +<p>Gefty hesitated, said, "I thought at +first he was furious because we'd upset +his plans. But they weren't his +plans ... they were the janandra's. +He wasn't exactly its servant. I suppose +you'd have to say he was something +like a pet animal."</p> + +<p>Kerim said incredulously, "But +that isn't possible! Think of how intelligently +Mr. Maulbow ..."</p> + +<p>"He was following instructions," +Gefty said. "The janandra let him +know whatever it wanted done. He +was following instructions again +when he tried to kill me after I'd got +away from the thing in the vault. +The real brain around here was the +janandra ... and it was a real +brain. With a little luck it would +have had the ship."</p> + +<p>Kerim smiled briefly. "You handled +that big brain rather well, I +think."</p> + +<p>"I was the one who got lucky," +Gefty said. "Anyway, where Maulbow +came from, it's the janandra's +kind that gives the orders. And the +thing is, Maulbow liked it that way. +He didn't want it to be different. +When the light hit us, it killed the +janandra on the outside of the ship. +Maulbow felt it happen and it +cracked him up. He wanted to kill +us for it. But since he was helpless, +he killed himself. He didn't want to +be healed—not by us. At least, that's +what it looks like."</p> + +<p>He shrugged, checked his watch, +climbed out of the chair. "Well," he +said, "the ten minutes I gave the +<i>Queen</i> to turn the power back on are +up. Looks like the old girl couldn't +do it. So I'll—"</p> + +<p>The indirect lighting system in the +instrument room went on silently. +The emergency light flickered and +went out. Gefty's head came around.</p> + +<p>Kerim was staring past him at the +screens, her face radiant.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Gefty!" she cried softly. "Oh, +Gefty! Our stars!"</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="cap">"Green dot here is us," Gefty explained, +somewhat hoarsely. He +cleared his throat, went on, "Our +true ship position, that is—" He +stopped, realizing he was talking too +much, almost babbling, in an attempt +to take some of the tension out of +the moment. The next few seconds +might not tell them where they were, +but it would show whether they had +been carried beyond the regions of +space charted by Federation instruments. +Which would mean the difference +between having a chance—whether +a good chance or a bad one—of +getting home eventually, and +the alternative of being hopelessly +lost.</p> + +<p>There had been nothing recognizably +familiar about the brilliantly +dense star patterns in the viewscreens, +but he gave no further +thought to that. Unless the ship's exact +position was known or one was +on an established route, it was a waste +of time looking for landmarks in a +sizable cluster.</p> + +<p>He turned on the basic star chart. +Within the locator plate the green +pinpoint of light reappeared, red-ringed +and suspended now against +the three-dimensional immensities +of the Milky Way. It stayed still a +moment, began a smooth drift towards +Galactic East. Gefty let his +breath out carefully. He sensed Kerim's +eyes on him but kept his gaze +fixed on the locator plate.</p> + +<p>The green dot slowed, came to a +stop. Gefty's finger tapped the same +button four times. The big chart +flicked out of existence, and in the +plate three regional star maps appeared +and vanished in quick succession +behind it. The fourth map +stayed. For a few seconds, the red-circled +green spark was not visible +here. Then it showed at the eastern +margin of the map, came gliding +forwards and to the left, slowed again +and held steady. Now the star map +began to glide through the locator +plate, carrying the fixed green dot +with it. It brought the dot up to dead +center point in the locator plate and +stopped.</p> + +<p>Gefty slumped a little. He rubbed +his hands slowly down his face and +muttered a few words. Then he shook +his head.</p> + +<p>"Gefty," Kerim whispered, "what +is it? Where are we?"</p> + +<p>Gefty looked at her.</p> + +<p>"After we got hauled into that +time current," he said hoarsely, "I +tried to find out which way in space +we were headed. The direction indicators +over there seemed to show we +were trying to go everywhere at once. +You remember Maulbow's control +unit wasn't working right, needed +adjustments. Well, all those little +impulses must have pretty well canceled +out because we weren't taken +really far. In the last hour and a half +we've covered roughly the distance +the <i>Queen</i> could have gone on her +own in, say, thirty days."</p> + +<p>"Then where ..."</p> + +<p>"Home," Gefty said simply. "It's +ridiculous! Other side of the Hub +from where we started." He nodded +at the plate. "Eastern Hub Quadrant. +Section Six Eight. The G2 behind the +green dot—that's the Evalee system. +We could be putting down at Evalee +Interstellar three hours from now if +we wanted to."</p> + +<p>Kerim was laughing and crying +together. "Oh, Gefty! I knew you +would ..."</p> + +<p>"A fat lot I had to do with it!" +Gefty leaned forward suddenly, +switched on the transmitter. "And +now let's pick up a live newscast. +There's something else I ..."</p> + +<p>His voice trailed off. The transmitter +screen lit up with a blurred jumble +of print, colors, a muttering of +voices, music and noises. Gefty twisted +a dial. The screen cleared, showed +a newscast headline sheet. Gefty +blinked at it, glanced sideways at +Kerim, grimaced.</p> + +<p>"The something else," he said, his +voice a little strained, "was something +I was also worried about. Looks +like I was more or less right."</p> + +<p>"Why, what's wrong?"</p> + +<p>"Nothing really bad," Gefty assured +her. He added, "I think. But +take a look at the Federation dateline."</p> + +<p>Kerim peered at the screen, +frowned. "But ..."</p> + +<p>"Uh-huh."</p> + +<p>"Why, that ... that's almost ..."</p> + +<p>"That," Gefty said, "or rather <i>this</i> +is the day after we started out from +the Hub, headed roughly Galactic +west. Three weeks ago. We'd be just +past Miam." He knuckled his chin. +"Interesting thought, isn't it?"</p> + +<p>Kerim was silent for long seconds. +"Then they ... or we ..."</p> + +<p>"Oh, they're us, all right," Gefty +said. "They'd have to be, wouldn't +they?"</p> + +<p>"I suppose so. It seems a little confusing. +But I was thinking. If you +send them a transmitter call ..."</p> + +<p>Gefty shook his head. "The +<i>Queen's</i> transmitter isn't too hot, but +it might push a call as far as Evalee. +Then we could arrange for a Com-Web +link-up there, and in another +ten minutes or so ... but I don't +think we'd better."</p> + +<p>"Why not?" Kerim demanded.</p> + +<p>"Because we got through it all +safely, so we're going to get through +it safely. But if we receive that message +now and never go on to Maulbow's +moon ... you see? There's +no way of knowing just what would +happen."</p> + +<p>Kerim looked hesitant, frowned. +"I suppose you're right," she agreed +reluctantly at last. "So Mr. Maulbow +will have to stay dead now. And that +janandra." After a moment she added +pensively, "Of course, they weren't +really very nice—"</p> + +<p>Gefty shivered. One of the things +he'd learned from Maulbow's ravings +was the real reason he and Kerim +had been taken along on the trip. He +didn't feel like telling Kerim about +it just yet, but it had been solely because +of Maulbow's concern for his +master's creature comforts. The janandra +could go for a long time without +food, but after fasting for several +years on the moon, a couple of snacks +on the homeward run would have +been highly welcome.</p> + +<p>And the janandra was a gourmet. +It much preferred, as Maulbow well +knew, to have its snacks still wriggling-fresh +as it started them down +its gullet.</p> + +<p>"No," Gefty said, "I couldn't call +either of them really nice."</p> + +<div class="trans1"><b>Transcriber's Note:</b><br /> +This etext was produced from <i>Analog</i> September +1962. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. +copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and +typographical errors have been corrected without note.</div> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Winds of Time, by James H. Schmitz + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WINDS OF TIME *** + +***** This file should be named 24395-h.htm or 24395-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/4/3/9/24395/ + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +https://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at https://www.pglaf.org. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at +https://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at https://pglaf.org + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit https://pglaf.org + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including including checks, online payments and credit card +donations. To donate, please visit: https://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + https://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. + + +</pre> + +</body> +</html> diff --git a/24395-h/images/001.png b/24395-h/images/001.png Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..a34cfce --- /dev/null +++ b/24395-h/images/001.png diff --git a/24395-h/images/002.png b/24395-h/images/002.png Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..3ded7fd --- /dev/null +++ b/24395-h/images/002.png diff --git a/24395-h/images/003.png b/24395-h/images/003.png Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..ad14430 --- /dev/null +++ b/24395-h/images/003.png diff --git a/24395-h/images/004.png b/24395-h/images/004.png Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..115d6d3 --- /dev/null +++ b/24395-h/images/004.png diff --git a/24395-h/images/005.png b/24395-h/images/005.png Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..97af300 --- /dev/null +++ b/24395-h/images/005.png diff --git a/24395.txt b/24395.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a6d27dd --- /dev/null +++ b/24395.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1841 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Winds of Time, by James H. Schmitz + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Winds of Time + +Author: James H. Schmitz + +Illustrator: Adolph E. Brotman + +Release Date: January 21, 2008 [EBook #24395] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WINDS OF TIME *** + + + + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + +[Illustration] + + +The Winds of Time + + He contracted for a charter trip--but the man + who hired his spacer wasn't quite a man, it + turned out--and he wanted more than service! + +by James H. Schmitz + +Illustrated by Brotman + + +Gefty Rammer came along the narrow passages between the _Silver Queen's_ +control compartment and the staterooms, trying to exchange the haggard +look on his face for one of competent self-assurance. There was nothing +to gain by letting his two passengers suspect that during the past few +minutes their pilot, the owner of Rammer Spacelines, had been a bare +step away from plain and fancy gibbering. + +He opened the door to Mr. Maulbow's stateroom and went inside. Mr. +Maulbow, face very pale, eyes closed, lay on his back on the couch, +still unconscious. He'd been knocked out when some unknown forces +suddenly started batting the _Silver Queen's_ turnip-shape around as the +_Queen_ had never been batted before in her eighteen years of +spacefaring. Kerim Ruse, Maulbow's secretary, knelt beside her employer, +checking his pulse. She looked anxiously up at Gefty. + +"What did you find out?" she asked in a voice that was not very steady. + +Gefty shrugged. "Nothing definite as yet. The ship hasn't been +damaged--she's a tough tub. That's one good point. Otherwise ... well, I +climbed into a suit and took a look out the escape hatch. And I saw the +same thing there that the screens show. Whatever that is." + +"You've no idea then of what's happened to us, or where we are?" Miss +Ruse persisted. She was a rather small girl with large, beautiful gray +eyes and thick blue-black hair. At the moment, she was barefoot and in a +sleeping outfit which consisted of something soft wrapped around her +top, soft and floppy trousers below. The black hair was tousled and she +looked around fifteen. She'd been asleep in her stateroom when something +smacked the _Queen_, and she was sensible enough then not to climb out +of the bunk's safety field until the ship finally stopped shuddering and +bucking about. That made her the only one of the three persons aboard +who had collected no bruises. She was scared, of course, but taking the +situation very well. + +Gefty said carefully, "There're a number of possibilities. It's obvious +that the _Queen_ has been knocked out of normspace, and it may take some +time to find out how to get her back there. But the main thing is that +the ship's intact. So far, it doesn't look too bad." + +Miss Ruse seemed somewhat reassured. Gefty could hardly have said the +same for himself. He was a qualified normspace and subspace pilot. He +had put in a hitch with the Federation Navy, and for the past eight +years he'd been ferrying his own two ships about the Hub and not +infrequently beyond the Federation's space territories, but he had never +heard of a situation like this. What he saw in the viewscreens when the +ship steadied enough to let him pick himself off the instrument room +floor, and again, a few minutes later and with much more immediacy, from +the escape hatch, made no sense--seemed simply to have no meaning. The +pressure meters said there was a vacuum outside the _Queen's_ skin. +That vacuum was dark, even pitch-black but here and there came +momentary suggestions of vague light and color. Occasional pinpricks of +brightness showed and were gone. And there had been one startling +phenomenon like a distant, giant explosion, a sudden pallid glare in the +dark, which appeared far ahead of the _Queen_ and, for the instant it +remained in sight, seemed to be rushing directly towards them. It had +given Gefty the feeling that the ship itself was plowing at high speed +through this eerie medium. But he had cut the _Queen's_ drives to the +merest idling pulse as soon as he staggered back to the control console +and got his first look at the screens, so it must have been the light +that had moved. + +But such details were best not discussed with a passenger. Kerim Ruse +would be arriving at enough disquieting speculations on her own; the +less he told her, the better. There was the matter of the ship's +location instruments. The only set Gefty had been able to obtain any +reading on were the direction indicators. And what they appeared to +indicate was that the _Silver Queen_ was turning on a new heading +something like twenty times a second. + +Gefty asked, "Has Mr. Maulbow shown any signs of waking up?" + +Kerim shook her head. "His breathing and pulse seem all right, and that +bump on his head doesn't look really bad, but he hasn't moved at all. +Can you think of anything else we might do for him, Gefty?" + +"Not at the moment," Gefty said. "He hasn't broken any bones. We'll see +how he feels when he comes out of it." He was wondering about Mr. +Maulbow and the fact that this charter had showed some unusual features +from the beginning. + +Kerim was a friendly sort of girl; they'd got to calling each other by +their first names within a day or two after the trip started. But after +that, she seemed to be avoiding him; and Gefty guessed that Maulbow had +spoken to her, probably to make sure that Kerim didn't let any of her +employer's secrets slip out. + +Maulbow himself was as aloof and taciturn a client as Rammer Spacelines +ever had picked up. A lean, blond character of indeterminate age, with +pale eyes, hard mouth. Why he had selected a bulky semifreighter like +the _Queen_ for a mineralogical survey jaunt to a lifeless little sun +system far beyond the outposts of civilization was a point he didn't +discuss. Gefty, needing the charter money, had restrained his curiosity. +If Maulbow wanted only a pilot and preferred to do all the rest of the +work himself, that was certainly Maulbow's affair. And if he happened to +be up to something illegal--though it was difficult to imagine +what--Customs would nail him when they got back to the Hub. + +But those facts looked a little different now. + + * * * + +Gefty scratched his chin, inquired, "Do you happen to know where Mr. +Maulbow keeps the keys to the storage vault?" + +Kerim looked startled. "Why, no! I couldn't permit you to take the keys +anyway while he ... while he's unconscious! You know that." + +Gefty grunted. "Any idea of what he has locked up in the vault?" + +"You shouldn't ask me--" Her eyes widened. "Why, that couldn't possibly +have anything to do with what's happened!" + +He might, Gefty thought, have reassured her a little too much. He said, +"I wouldn't know. But I don't want to just sit here and wonder about it +until Maulbow wakes up. Until we're back in normspace, we'd better not +miss any bets. Because one thing's sure--if this has happened to anybody +else, they didn't turn up again to report it. You see?" + +Kerim apparently did. She went pale, then said hesitantly, "Well ... the +sealed cases Mr. Maulbow brought out from the Hub with him had some very +expensive instruments in them. That's all I know. He's always trusted me +not to pry into his business any more than my secretarial duties +required, and of course I haven't." + +"You don't know then what it was he brought up from that moon a few +hours ago--those two big cases he stowed away in the vault?" + +"No, I don't, Gefty. You see, he hasn't told me what the purpose of this +trip is. I only know that it's a matter of great importance to him." +Kerim paused, added, "From the careful manner Mr. Maulbow handled the +cases with the cranes, I had the impression that whatever was inside +them must be quite heavy." + +"I noticed that," Gefty said. It wasn't much help. "Well, I'll tell +_you_ something now," he went on. "I let your boss keep both sets of +keys to the storage vault because he insisted on it when he signed the +charter. What I didn't tell him was that I could make up a duplicate set +any time in around half an hour." + +"Oh! Have you--?" + +"Not yet. But I intend to take a look at what Mr. Maulbow's got in that +vault now, with or without his consent. You'd better run along and get +dressed while I take him up to the instrument room." + +"Why move him?" Kerim asked. + +"The instrument room's got an overall safety field. I've turned it on +now, and if something starts banging us around again, the room will be +the safest place on the ship. I'll bring his personal luggage up too, +and you can start looking through it for the keys. You may find them +before I get a new set made. Or he may wake up and tell us where they +are." + +Kerim Ruse gave her employer a dubious glance, then nodded, said, "I +imagine you're right, Gefty," and pattered hurriedly out of the +stateroom. A few minutes later, she arrived, fully dressed, in the +instrument room. Gefty looked around from the table-shelf where he had +laid out his tools, and said, "He hasn't stirred. His suitcases are over +there. I've unlocked them." + +Kerim gazed at what showed in the screens about the control console and +shivered slightly. She said, "I was thinking, Gefty ... isn't there +something they call Space Three?" + +[Illustration] + +"Sure. Pseudospace. But that isn't where we are. There're some +special-built Navy tubs that can operate in that stuff if they don't +stay too long. A ship like the _Queen_ ... well, you and I and +everything else in here would be frozen solid by now if we'd got sucked +somehow into Space Three." + +"I see," Kerim said uncomfortably. Gefty heard her move over to the +suitcases. After a moment, she asked, "What do the vault keys look +like?" + +"You can't miss them if he's just thrown them in there. They're over six +inches long. What kind of a guy is this Maulbow? A scientist?" + +"I couldn't say, Gefty. He's never referred to himself as a scientist. +I've had this job a year and a half. Mr. Maulbow is a very considerate +employer ... one of the nicest men I've known, really. But it was simply +understood that I should ask no questions about the business beyond what +I actually needed to know for my work." + +"What's the business called?" + +"Maulbow Engineering." + +"Big help," Gefty observed, somewhat sourly. "Those instruments he +brought along ... he build those himself?" + +"No, but I think he designed some of them--probably most of them. The +companies he had doing the actual work appeared to have a terrible time +getting everything exactly the way Mr. Maulbow wanted it--There's +nothing that looks like a set of keys in those first two suitcases, +Gefty." + +"Well," Gefty said, "if you don't find them in the others, you might +start thumping around to see if he's got secret compartments in his +luggage somewhere." + +"I do wish," Kerim Ruse said uneasily, "that Mr. Maulbow would regain +consciousness. It seems so ... so underhanded to be doing these things +behind his back!" + +Gefty grunted noncommittally. He wasn't at all certain by now that he +wanted his secretive client to wake up before he'd checked on the +contents of the _Queen's_ storage vault. + + * * * * * + +Fifteen minutes later, Gefty Rammer was climbing down to the storage +deck in the _Queen's_ broad stern, the newly fashioned set of vault keys +clanking heavily in his coat pocket. Kerim had remained with her +employer who was getting back his color but still hadn't opened his +eyes. She hadn't found the original keys. Gefty wasn't sure she'd tried +too hard, though she seemed to realize the seriousness of the situation +now. But her loyalty to Mr. Maulbow could make no further difference, +and she probably felt more comfortable for it. + +Lights went on automatically in the wide passage leading from the cargo +lock to the vault as Gefty turned into it. His steps echoed between the +steel bulkheads on either side. He paused a moment before the big +circular vault doors, listening to the purr of the _Queen's_ idling +engines in the next compartment. The familiar sound was somehow +reassuring. He inserted the first key, turned it over twice, drew it out +again and pressed one of the buttons in the control panel beside the +door. The heavy slab of steel moved sideways with a soft, hissing sound, +vanished into the wall. Gefty slid the other key into the lock of the +inner door. A few seconds later, the vault entrance lay open before him. + +He stood still again, wrinkling his nose. The area ahead was only dimly +illuminated--the shaking-up the _Queen_ had undergone had disturbed the +lighting system here. And what was that odor? Rather sharp, unpleasant; +it might have been spilled ammonia. Gefty stepped through the door into +the wide, short entrance passage beyond it, turned to the right and +peered about in the semidarkness of the vault. + +Two great steel cases--the ones Maulbow had taken down to an airless +moon surface, loaded up with something and brought back to the +_Queen_--were jammed awkwardly into a corner, in a manner which +suggested they'd slid into it when the ship was being knocked around. +One of them was open and appeared to be empty. Gefty wasn't sure of the +other. In the dimness beside them lay the loose coils of some very +thick, dark cable--And standing near the center of the floor was a thing +that at once riveted his attention on it completely. He sucked his +breath in softly, feeling chilled. + +He realized he hadn't really believed his own hunch. But, of course, if +it hadn't been an unheard-of outside force that plucked the _Queen_ out +of normspace and threw her into this elsewhere, then it must be +something Maulbow had put on board. And that something had to be a +machine of some kind-- + +It was. + +About it he could make out a thin gleaming of wires--a jury-rigged +safety field. Within the flimsy-looking protective cage was a double +bank of instruments, some of them alive with the flicker and glow of +lights. Those must be the very expensive and difficult-to-build items +Maulbow had brought out from the Hub. Beside them stood the machine, +squat and ponderous. In the vague light, it looked misshaped and +discolored. A piece of equipment that had taken a bad beating of some +kind. But it was functioning. As he stared, intermittent bursts of +clicking noises rose from it, like the staccato of irregular gunfire. + +For a moment, questions raced in disorder through his mind. What was it? +Why had it been on that moon? Part of another ship, wrecked now ... a +ship that had been at home _here_? Was it some sort of drive? + +Maulbow must know. He'd known enough to design the instruments required +to bring the battered monster back to life. On the other hand, he had +not foreseen in all detail what could happen once the thing was in +operation, because the _Queen's_ sudden buck-jumping act had surprised +him and knocked him out. + +The first step, in any event, was to get Maulbow awake now. To tamper +with a device like this, before learning as much as one could about it, +would be lunatic foolhardiness. It looked like too good a bet that the +next serious mistake made by anybody would finish them all-- + +Perhaps it was only because Gefty's nerves were on edge that he grew +aware at that point in his reflections of two minor signals from his +senses. One was that the smell of ammonia, which he had almost stopped +noticing, was becoming appreciably stronger. The other was the faintest +of sounds--a whispering suggestion of motion somewhere behind him. But +here in the storage vault nothing should have moved, and Gefty's muscles +were tensing as his head came around. Almost in the same instant, he +flung himself wildly to one side, stumbling and regaining his balance as +something big and dark slapped heavily down on the floor at the point +where he had stood. Then he was darting up through the entrance passage, +turning, and knocking down the lock switches on the outside door panel. + +It came flowing around the corner of the passage behind him as the vault +doors began to slide together. He was aware mainly of swift, smooth, +oiling motion like that of a big snake; then, for a fraction of a +second, a strip of brighter light from the outside passage showed a +long, heavy wedge of a head, a green metal-glint of staring eyes. + +The doors closed silently into their frames and locked. The thing was +inside. But it was almost a minute then before Gefty could control his +shaking legs enough to start moving back towards the main deck. In the +half-dark of the vault, it had looked like a big coiled cable lying next +to the packing cases. Like Maulbow, it might have been battered around +and knocked out during the recent disturbance; and when it recovered, it +had found Gefty in the vault with it. But it might also have been awake +all the while, waiting cunningly until Gefty's attention seemed fixed +elsewhere before launching its attack. It was big enough to have +flattened him and smashed every bone in his body if the stroke had +landed. + +Some kind of guard animal--a snakelike watchdog? What other connection +could it have with the mystery machine? Perhaps Maulbow had intended to +leave it confined in one of the cases, and it had broken loose-- + +Too many questions by now, Gefty thought. But Maulbow had the answers. + + * * * * * + +He was hurrying up the main deck's central passage when Maulbow's voice +addressed him sharply from a door he'd just passed. + +"Stop right there, Rammer! Don't dare to move! I--" + +The voice ended on a note of surprise. Gefty's reaction had not been too +rational, but it was prompt. Maulbow's tone and phrasing implied he was +armed. Gefty wasn't, but he kept a gun in the instrument room for +emergencies. He'd been through a whole series of unnerving experiences, +winding up with being shagged out of his storage vault by something that +stank of ammonia and looked like a giant snake. To have one of the +_Queen's_ passengers order him to stand where he was topped it off. +Every other consideration was swept aside by a great urge to get his +hands on his gun. + +He glanced back, saw Maulbow coming out of the half-opened door, +something like a twenty-inch, thin, white rod in one hand. Then Gefty +went bounding on along the passage, hunched forward and zigzagging from +wall to wall to give Maulbow--if the thing he held was a weapon and he +actually intended to use it--as small and erratic a target as possible. +Maulbow shouted angrily behind him. Then, as Gefty came up to the next +cross-passage, a line of white fire seared through the air across his +shoulders and smashed off the passage wall. + +With that, he was around the corner, and boiling mad. He had no great +liking for gunfire, but it didn't shake him like the silently attacking +beast in the dark storage had done. He reached the deserted instrument +room not many seconds later, had his gun out and cocked, and was faced +back towards the passage by which he had entered. Maulbow, if he had +pursued without hesitation, should be arriving by now. But the passage +stayed quiet. Gefty couldn't see into it from where he stood. He waited, +trying to steady his breathing, wondering where Kerim Ruse was and what +had got into Maulbow. After a moment, without taking his eyes from the +passage entrance, he reached into the wall closet from which he had +taken the gun and fished out another souvenir of his active service +days, a thin-bladed knife in a slip-sheath. Gefty worked the fastenings +of the sheath over his left wrist and up his forearm under his coat, +tested the release to make sure it was functioning, and shook his coat +sleeve back into place. + +The passage was still quiet. Gefty moved softly over to one of the +chairs, took a small cushion from it and pitched it out in front of the +entrance. + +There was a hiss. The cushion turned in midair into a puff of bright +white fire. Gefty aimed his gun high at the far passage wall just beyond +the entrance and pulled the trigger. It was a projectile gun. He heard +the slug screech off the slick plastic bulkhead and go slamming down the +passage. Somebody out there made a startled, incoherent noise. But not +the kind of a noise a man makes when he's just been hit. + +"If you come in here armed," Gefty called, "I'll blow your head off. +Want to stop this nonsense now?" + +There was a moment's silence. Then Maulbow's voice replied shakily from +the passage. He seemed to be standing about twenty feet back from the +room. + +"If you'll end your thoughtless attempts at interference, Rammer," he +said, "there will be no trouble." He was speaking with the restraint of +a man who is in a state of cold fury. "You're endangering us all. You +must realize that you have no understanding of what you are doing." + +Well, the last could be true enough. "We'll talk about it," Gefty said +without friendliness. "I haven't done anything yet, but I'm not just +handing the ship over to you. And what have you done with Miss Ruse?" + +Maulbow hesitated again. "She's in the map room," he said then. "I ... +it was necessary to restrict her movements for a while. But you might as +well let her out now. We must reach an agreement without loss of time." + +Gefty glanced over his shoulder at the small closed door of the map +room. There was no lock on the door, and he had heard no sound from +inside; this might be some trick. But it wouldn't take long to find out. +He backed up to the wall, pushed the door open and looked inside. + +Kerim was there, sitting on a chair in one corner of the tiny room. The +reason she hadn't made any noise became clear. She and the chair were +covered by a rather closely fitting sack of transparent, glistening +fabric. She stared out through it despairingly at Gefty, her lips moving +urgently. But no sound came from the sack. + +Gefty called angrily, "Maulbow--" + +"Don't excite yourself, Rammer." There was a suggestion of what might be +contempt in Maulbow's tone now. "The girl hasn't been harmed. She can +breathe easily through the restrainer. And you can remove it by pulling +at the material from outside." + +Gefty's mouth tightened. "I'll keep my gun on the passage while I do +it--" + +Maulbow didn't answer. Gefty edged back into the map room, tentatively +grasped the transparent stuff above Kerim's shoulder. To his surprise, +it parted like wet tissue. He pulled sharply, and in a moment Kerim came +peeling herself out of it, her face tear-stained, working desperately +with hands, elbows and shoulders. + +"Gefty," she gasped, "he ... Mr. Maulbow--" + +"He's out in the passage there," Gefty said. "He can hear you." His +glance shifted for an instant to the wall where a second of the +shroudlike transparencies was hanging. And who could that have been +intended for, he thought, but Gefty Rammer? He added, "We've had a +little trouble." + +"Oh!" She looked out of the room towards the passage, then at the gun in +Gefty's hand, then up at his face. + +"Maulbow," Gefty went on, speaking distinctly enough to make sure +Maulbow heard, "has a gun, too. He'll stay there in the passage and +we'll stay in the instrument room until we agree on what should be done. +He's responsible for what's happened and seems to know where we are." + +He looked at Kerim's frightened eyes, dropped his voice to a whisper. +"Don't let this worry you too much. I haven't found out just what he's +up to, but so far his tricks have pretty much backfired. He was counting +on taking us both by surprise, for one thing. That didn't work, so now +he'd like us to co-operate." + +"Are you going to?" + +Gefty shrugged. "Depends on what he has in mind. I'm just interested in +getting us out of this alive. Let's hear what Maulbow has to say--" + + * * * * * + +Some minutes later Gefty was trying to decide whether it was taking a +worse risk to believe what Maulbow said than to keep things stalled on +the chance that he was lying. + +Kerim Ruse, perched stiffly erect on the edge of a chair, eyes big and +round, face almost colorless, apparently believed Maulbow and was +wishing she didn't. There was, of course, some supporting evidence ... +primarily the improbable appearance of their surroundings. The +pencil-thin fire-spouter and the sleazy-looking "restrainer" had a +sufficiently unfamiliar air to go with Maulbow's story; but as far as +Gefty knew, either of them could have been manufactured in the Hub. + +Then there was the janandra--the big, snakish thing in the storage which +Maulbow had brought back up from the moon along with the battered +machine. It had been, he said, his shipboard companion on another +voyage. It wasn't ordinarily aggressive--Gefty's sudden appearance in +the vault must have startled it into making an attack. It was not +exactly a pet. There was a psychological relationship between it and +Maulbow which Maulbow would not attempt to explain because Gefty and +Kerim would be unable to grasp its significance. The janandra was +essential, in this unexplained manner, to his well-being. + +That item was almost curious enough to seem to substantiate his other +statements; but it didn't really prove anything. The only point Gefty +didn't question in the least was that they were in a bad spot which +might be getting worse rapidly. His gaze shifted back to the screens. +What he saw out there, surrounding the ship, was, according to Maulbow, +an illusion of space created by the time flow in which they were moving. + +Also according to Maulbow, there was a race of the future, human in +appearance, with machines to sail the current of time through the +universe--to run and tack with the winds of time, dipping in and out of +the normspace of distant periods and galaxies as they chose. Maulbow, +one of the explorers, had met disaster a million light-years from the +home of his kind, centuries behind them, his vehicle wrecked on an +airless moon with damaged control unit and shattered instruments. He had +made his way to a human civilization to obtain the equipment he needed, +and returned at last with the _Silver Queen_ to where the time-sailer +lay buried. + +Gefty's lip curled. No, he wasn't buying all that just yet--but if +Maulbow was _not_ lying, then the unseen stars were racing past, the +mass of the galaxy beginning to slide by, eventually to be lost forever +beyond a black distance no space drive could span. The matter simply had +to be settled quickly. But Maulbow was also strained and impatient, and +if his impatience could be increased a little more, he might start +telling the things that really mattered, the things Gefty had to know. +Gefty asked slowly, as if hesitant to commit himself, "Why did you bring +us along?" + +The voice from the passage snapped, "Because my resources were nearly +exhausted, Rammer! I couldn't obtain a new ship. Therefore I chartered +yours; and you came with it. As for Miss Ruse--in spite of every +precaution, my activities may have aroused suspicion and curiosity among +your people. When I disappeared, Miss Ruse might have been questioned. I +couldn't risk being followed to the wreck of the sailer, so I took her +with me. And what does that mean against what I have offered you? The +greatest adventure--followed, I give you my solemn word, by a safe +return to your own place and time, and the most generous compensations +for any inconvenience you may have suffered!" + +Kerim, looking up at Gefty, shook her head violently. Gefty said, "We +find it difficult to take you on trust now, Maulbow. Why do you want to +get into the instrument room?" + +Maulbow was silent for some seconds. Then he said, "As I told you, this +ship would not have been buffeted about during the moments of transfer +if the control unit were operating with complete efficiency. Certain +adjustments will have to be made in the unit, and this should be done +promptly." + + * * * + +"Where do the ship instruments come in?" Gefty asked. + +"I can determine the nature of the problem from them. When I was ... +stranded ... the unit was seriously damaged. My recent repairs were +necessarily hasty. I--" + +[Illustration] + +"What caused the crack-up?" + +Maulbow said, tone taut with impatience, "Certain sections of the Great +Current are infested with dangerous forces. I shall not attempt to +describe them ..." + +"I wouldn't get it?" + +"I don't pretend to understand them very well myself, Rammer. They are +not life but show characteristics of life--even of intelligent life. If +you can imagine radiant energy being capable of conscious hostility...." + +There was a chill at the back of Gefty's neck. "A big, fast-moving +light?" + +"Yes!" Sharp concern showed suddenly in the voice from the passage. "You +... when did you see that?" + +Gefty glanced at the screens. "Twice since you've been talking. And +once before--immediately after we got tumbled around." + +"Then we can waste no more time, Rammer. Those forces are sensitive to +the fluctuations of the control unit. If they were close enough to be +seen, they're aware the ship is here. They were attempting to locate +it." + +"What could they do?" + +Maulbow said, "A single attack was enough to put the control unit out of +operation in my sailer. The Great Current then rejected us instantly. A +ship of this size might afford more protection, which is the reason I +chose it. But if the control unit is not adjusted immediately to enable +it to take us out of this section, the attacks will continue until the +ship--and we--have been destroyed." + +Gefty drew a deep breath. "There's another solution to that problem, +Maulbow. Miss Ruse and I prefer it. And if you meant what you said--that +you'd see to it we got back eventually--you shouldn't object either." + +The voice asked sharply, "What do you mean?" + +Gefty said, "Shut the control unit off. From what you were saying, that +throws us automatically back into normspace, while we're still close +enough to the Hub. You'll find plenty of people there who'll stake you +to a trip to the future if they can go along and are convinced they'll +return. Miss Ruse and I don't happen to be that adventurous." + +There was silence from the passage. Gefty added, "Take your time to make +up your mind about it, if you want to. I don't like the idea of those +lights hitting us, but neither do you. And I think I can wait this out +as well as you can...." + +The silence stretched out. Presently Gefty said, "If you do accept, +slide that fire-shooting device of yours into the room before you show +up. We don't want accidents." + +He paused again. Kerim was chewing her lips, hands clenched into small +fists in her lap. Then Maulbow answered, voice flat and expressionless +now. + +"The worst thing we can do at present," he said, "is to prolong a +dispute about possible courses of action. If I disarm, will you lay +aside your gun?" + +"Yes." + +"Then I accept your conditions, disappointing as they are." + +He was silent. After a moment, Gefty heard the white rod clatter lightly +along the floor of the passage. It struck the passage wall, spun off it, +and rolled into the instrument room, coming to rest a few feet away from +him. Gefty hesitated, picked it up and laid it on the wall table. He +placed his own gun beside it, moved a dozen steps away. Kerim's eyes +followed him anxiously. + +"Gefty," she whispered, "he might ..." + +Gefty looked at her, formed the words "It's all right" with his mouth +and called, "Guns have been put aside, Maulbow. Come on in, and let's +keep it peaceable." + +He waited, arms hanging loosely at his side, heart beating heavily, as +quick footsteps came up the passage. Maulbow appeared in the entrance, +glanced at Gefty and Kerim, then about the room. His gaze rested for a +moment on the wall table, shifted back to Gefty. Maulbow came on into +the room, turning towards Gefty, mouth twisting. + +He said softly, "It is not our practice, Rammer, to share the secrets of +the Great Current with other races. I hadn't foreseen that you might +become a dangerous nuisance. But now--" + +His right hand began to lift, half closed about some small golden +instrument. Gefty's left arm moved back and quickly forwards. + +The service knife slid out of its sheath and up from his palm as an +arrow of smoky blackness burst from the thing in Maulbow's hand. The +blackness came racing with a thin, snarling noise across the floor +towards Gefty's feet. The knife flashed above it, turning, and stood +hilt-deep in Maulbow's chest. + + * * * * * + +Gefty returned a few minutes later from the forward cabin which served +as the _Queen's_ sick bay, and said to Kerim, "He's still alive, though +I don't know why. He may even recover. He's full of anesthetic, and that +should keep him quiet till we're back in normspace. Then I'll see what +we can do for him." + +Kerim had lost some of her white, shocked look while he was gone. "You +knew he would try to kill you?" she asked shakily. + +"Suspected he had it in mind--he gave in too quick. But I thought I'd +have a chance to take any gadget he was hiding away from him first. I +was wrong about that. Now we'd better move fast ..." + +He switched the emergency check panel back on, glanced over the familiar +patterns of lights and numbers. A few minor damage spots were indicated, +but the ship was still fully operational. One minor damage spot which +did not appear on the panel was now to be found in the instrument room +itself, in the corner on which the door of the map room opened. The +door, the adjoining bulkheads and section of flooring were scarred, +blackened, and as assortedly malodorous as burned things tend to become. +That was where Gefty had stood when Maulbow entered the room, and if he +had remained there an instant after letting go of the knife, he would +have been in very much worse condition than the essentially fireproof +furnishings. + +Both Maulbow's weapons--the white rod lying innocently on the wall table +and the round, golden device which had dropped from his hand spitting +darts of smoking blackness--had blasted unnervingly away into that area +for almost thirty seconds after Maulbow was down and twisting about on +the floor. Then he went limp and the firing instantly stopped. +Apparently, Maulbow's control of them had ended as he lost +consciousness. + +It seemed fortunate that the sick bay cabin's emergency treatment +accessories, gentle as their action was, might have been designed for +the specific purpose of keeping the most violent of prisoners +immobilized--let alone one with a terrible knife wound in him. At the +angle along which the knife had driven in and up below the ribs, an +ordinary man would have been dead in seconds. But it was very evident +now that Maulbow was no ordinary man, and even after the eerie weapons +had been pitched out of the ship through the instrument room's disposal +tube, Gefty couldn't rid himself of an uncomfortable suspicion that he +wasn't done with Maulbow yet--wouldn't be done with him, in fact, until +one or the other of them was dead. + +He said to Kerim, "I thought the machine Maulbow set up in the storage +vault would turn out to be some drive engine, but apparently it has an +entirely different function. He connected it with the instruments he had +made in the Hub, and together they form what he calls a control unit. +The emergency panel would show if the unit were drawing juice from the +ship. It isn't, and I don't know what powers it. But we do know now that +the control unit is holding us in the time current, and it will go on +holding us there as long as it's in operation. + +"If we could shut it off, the _Queen_ would be 'rejected' by the +current, like Maulbow's sailer was. In other words, we'd get knocked +back into normspace--which is what we want. And we want it to happen as +soon as possible because, if Maulbow was telling the truth on that +point, every minute that passes here is taking us farther away from the +Hub, and farther from our own time towards his." + +Kerim nodded, eyes intent on his face. + +"Now I can't just go down there and start slapping switches around on +the thing," Gefty went on. "He said it wasn't working right, and even if +it were, I couldn't tell what would happen. But it doesn't seem to +connect up with any ship systems--it just seems to be holding us in a +field of its own. So I should be able to move the whole unit into the +cargo lock and eject it from there. If we shift the _Queen_ outside its +field, that should have the same effect as shutting the control unit +off. It should throw us back into normspace." + +Kerim nodded again. "What about Mr. Maulbow's janandra animal?" + +Gefty shrugged. "Depends on the mood I find it in. He said it wasn't +usually aggressive. Maybe it isn't. I'll get into a spacesuit for +protection and break out some of the mining equipment to move it along +with. If I can maneuver it into an empty compartment where it will be +out of the ..." + + * * * + +He broke off, expression changing, eyes fastened on the emergency panel. +Then he turned hurriedly, reached across the side of the console for the +intership airseal controls. Kerim asked apprehensively, "What's the +matter, Gefty?" + +"Wish I knew ... exactly." Gefty indicated the emergency panel. "Little +red light there, on the storage deck section--it wasn't showing a minute +ago. It means that the vault doors have been opened since then." + +He saw the same half-superstitious fear appear in her face that had +touched him. "You think _he_ did it?" + +"I don't know." Maulbow's control of the guns had seemed uncanny enough. +But that was a different matter. The guns were a product of his own time +and science. But the vault door mechanisms? There might have been +sufficient opportunity for Maulbow to study them and alter them, for +some purpose of his own, since he'd come aboard.... + +"I've got the ship compartments and decks sealed off from each other +now," Gefty said slowly. "The only connecting points from one to the +other are personnel hatches--they're small air locks. So the janandra's +confined to the storage deck. If it's come out of the vault, it might be +a nuisance until I can get equipment to handle it. But that isn't too +serious. The spacesuits are on the second deck, and I'll get into one +before I go on to the storage. You wait here a moment, I'll look in on +Maulbow again before I start." + +If Maulbow wasn't still unconscious, he was doing a good job of feigning +it. Gefty looked at the pale, lax face, the half-shut eyes, shook his +head and left the cabin, locking it behind him. It mightn't be Maulbow's +doing, but having the big snake loose in the storage could, in fact, +make things extremely awkward now. He didn't think his gun would make +much impression on anything of that size, and while several of the +ship's mining tools could be employed as very effective close-range +weapons, they happened, unfortunately, to be stored away on the same +deck. + +He found Kerim standing in the center of the instrument room, waiting +for him. + +"Gefty," she said, "do you notice anything? An odd sort of smell...." + +Then the odor was in Gefty's nostrils, too, and the back of his neck +turned to ice as he recognized it. He glanced up at the ventilation +outlet, looked back at Kerim. + +He took her arm, said softly, "Come this way. Keep very quiet! I don't +know how it happened, but the janandra's on the main deck now. That's +what it smells like. The smell's coming through the ventilation system, +so the thing's moving around in the port section. We'll go the other +way." + +Kerim whispered, "What will we do?" + +"Get ourselves into spacesuits first, and then get Maulbow's control +unit out of the ship. The janandra may be looking around for him. If it +is, it won't bother us." + + * * * * * + +He hadn't wanted to remind Kerim that, from what Maulbow said, there +might be more than one reason for getting rid of the control unit as +quickly as possible. But it had been constantly in the back of his mind; +and twice, in the few minutes that passed after Maulbow's strange +weapons were silenced, he had seen a momentary pale glare appear in the +unquiet flow of darkness reflecting in the viewscreens. Gefty had said +nothing, because if it was true that hostile forces were alert and +searching for them here, it added to their immediate danger but not at +all to the absolute need to free themselves from the inexorable rush of +the Great Current before they were carried beyond hope of return to +their civilization. + +But those brief glimpses did add to the sense of urgency throbbing in +Gefty's nerves, while events, and the equally hard necessity to avoid a +fatally mistaken move in this welter of unknown factors, kept blocking +him. Now the mysterious manner in which Maulbow's unpleasant traveling +companion had appeared on the main deck made it impossible to do +anything but keep Kerim at his side. If Maulbow was still capable of +taking a hand in matters, there was no reasonably safe place to leave +her aboard the _Queen_. + +And Maulbow might be capable of it. Twice as they hurried up the narrow, +angled passages along the _Queen's_ curving hull towards an airseal +leading to the next compartment, Gefty caught a trace of the +ammonia-like animal odor coming over the ventilating system. They +reached the lock without incident; but then, as they came along the +second deck hall to the ship's magazine, there was a sharp click in the +stillness behind them. Its meaning was disconcertingly apparent. Gefty +hesitated, turned Kerim into a side passage, guided her along it. + +She looked up at his face. "It's following us?" + +"Seems to be." No time for the spacesuits in the magazine now--something +had just emerged from the air lock through which they had entered the +second deck not many moments before. He helped the girl quickly down a +section of ladderlike stairs to the airseal connecting the second deck +with the storage, punched a wall button there. As the lock door opened, +there was another noise from the passage they had just left, as if +something had thudded briefly and heavily against one of the bulkheads. +Kerim uttered a little gasp. Then they were in the lock, and Gefty +slapped down two other buttons, stood watching the door behind them snap +shut and, a few seconds later, the one on the far side open on the dark +storage deck. + +They scrambled down another twelve feet of ladder to the floor of a side +passage, hearing the lock snap shut behind them. As it closed, they were +in complete darkness. Gefty seized Kerim's arm, ran with her up the +passage to the left, guiding himself with his fingertips on the left +bulkhead. When they came to a corner, he turned her to the left again. A +few seconds later, he pulled open a small door, bundled the girl +through, came in himself, and shut the door to a narrow slit behind +them. + +Kerim whispered shakily, "What will we do now, Gefty?" + +"Stay here for the moment. It'll look for us in the vault first." + +And it should go to the storage vault first where it had been guarding +Maulbow's machine, to hunt for them there. But it might not. Gefty eased +the gun from his pocket on the far side of Kerim. Across the dark +compartment was another door. They could retreat a little farther here +if it became necessary--but not very much farther. + +They waited in a silence that was complete except for their unsteady +breathing and the distant, deep pulse of the _Queen's_ throttled-down +drives. He felt Kerim trembling against him. How did Maulbow's creature +move through the airseal locks? The operating mechanisms were simple--a +dog might have been taught to use them. But a dog had paws.... + +There came the soft hiss of the opening lock, the faintest shimmer of +light to the right of the passage mouth he was watching through the +door. A heavy thump on the floor below the locks followed, then a hard +click as the lock closed and complete darkness returned. + +The silence resumed. Seconds dragged on. Gefty's imagination pictured +the thing waiting, its great, wedge-shaped head raised as its senses +probed the dark about it for a sign of the two human beings. Then a +vague rushing noise began, growing louder as it approached the passage +mouth, crossing it, receding rapidly again to the left. + +Gefty let his breath out slowly, eased the door open and stood listening +again. Abruptly, there was reflected light in the lock passage, coming +now from the left. He said in a whisper, "It's moving around in the main +hall, Kerim. We can go on the other way now, but we'll have to be fast +and keep quiet. I've thought of how we can get rid of that thing." + + * * * + +The cargo lock on the storage deck had two inner doors. The one which +opened into the side of the vault hall was built to allow passage of the +largest chunks of freight the _Queen_ was likely to be burdened with; it +was almost thirty feet wide and twenty high. The second door was just +large enough to let a man in a spacesuit climb in and out of the side of +the lock without using the freight door. It opened on a tiny control +cubicle from which the lock's mechanisms were operated during loading +processes. + +[Illustration] + +Gefty let Kerim and himself into the cubicle from one of the passages, +steered the girl through the pitch blackness of the little room to the +chair before the control panel and told her to sit down. He groped for a +moment at the side of the panel, found a knob and twisted it. There was +a faint click. A scattering of pale lights appeared suddenly on the +panel, a dark viewscreen, set at a tilt above them, reflecting their +gleam. + +Gefty explained in a low voice, "Left side of that screen covers the +lock. Right one covers the big hall outside. No lights in either at the +moment, so you don't see anything. Only way the cargo door to the hall +can be opened or closed is with these switches right here. What I want +to do is get the janandra into the lock, slam the door on it and lock +down the control switches. Then we've got it trapped." + +"But how are you going to get it to go in there?" + +"No real problem--I'll be three jumps ahead of it. Then I duck back up +into this cubicle, and lock both doors. And it'll be inside the lock. +You have the picture now?" + +Kerim said unsteadily, "I do. But it sounds awfully risky, Gefty." + +"Well, I don't like it either," Gefty admitted. "So I'll start right now +before I lose my nerve. As soon as I move out into the vault hall, the +lighting will go on. That's automatic. You watch the right side of the +screen. If you see the janandra coming before I do, yell as loud as you +can." + +He shifted the two inner door switches to the right. A red spark +appeared in the dark viewscreen, high up near the center. A second red +light showed on the cubicle bulkhead beside Gefty. Beneath it an oblong +section of the bulkhead turned silently away on heavy hinges, became a +door two feet in thickness, which stood jutting out at a right angle +into the darkness of the cargo lock. A wave of cold air moved through it +into the control cubicle. + +On the screen, another red spark appeared beside the first one. + +"Both doors are open now," Gefty murmured to the girl. "The janandra +isn't in the vault hall or the lighting would have turned on, but it may +have heard the door open and be on its way. So keep watching the +screen." + +"I certainly will!" she whispered shakily. + +Gefty took an oversized wrench from the wall, climbed quickly and +quietly down the three ladder steps to the floor of the lock, and walked +across it to the sill of the giant freight door, which now had swung out +and down into the vault hall, fitting itself into a depression of the +flooring. He hesitated an instant on the sill, then stepped out into the +big dark hall. Light filled it immediately in both directions. + +He stood quiet, intent on the storage vault entrance far up the hall to +his left. He could see the vault was open. The janandra might still be +inside it. But the seconds passed, and the dark entrance remained silent +and there was no suggestion of motion beyond it. Gefty glanced to the +right, moved a dozen steps farther out into the hall, hefted the wrench +and spun it through the air towards the ventilator frame on the opposite +bulkhead. + +The heavy tool clanged loudly against the frame, bounced off and thudded +to the floor. Gefty started slowly over to it, heart pounding, with the +vault entrance still at the edge of his vision. + +Kerim's voice screamed, "_Gefty, it's_--" + +He spun around, sprinted back to the cargo lock. The janandra had come +silently out of the nearest side passage behind him, was approaching +with the remembered oiling swiftness of motion, its great head lifted a +yard from the floor. Gefty plunged through the lock, jumped for the top +of the cubicle door steps, came stumbling into the cubicle. Kerim was on +her feet, staring. He swung the cubicle door switch to the left, +slapping it flat to the panel. The door snapped back into the wall +behind him with a force that shook the floor. + +On the screen, the janandra's thick, dark worm-shape was swinging around +in the dim lock to regain the open hall. It had seen the trap. But the +freight door switch went flat beside the other, and the freight door +rose with massive swiftness. The heavy body smashed against it, went +sliding back to the floor as the door slammed shut and the screen +section showing the cargo lock turned dark. + +"Got it--got it--got it!" Gefty heard himself whispering exultantly. He +switched on the lock's interior lights. + +Then he swore softly, and, beside him, Kerim sucked in her breath. + + * * * * * + +The screen showed the janandra in violent but apparently purposeful +motion inside the lock ... and it was also apparent now that it was a +more complexly constructed creature than the long worm-body and heavy +head had indicated. The skin, to a distance of some eight feet back of +the head, had spread out into a wide, flexible frill. From beneath the +frill extended half a dozen jointed, bone-white arms, along with waving, +ribbonlike appendages less easy to define. The thing was reared half up +along the hall door, inspecting its surface with these members; then +suddenly it flung itself around and flashed over to the outer lock door. +Three arms shot out; wiry fingers caught the three spin-locks +simultaneously, began to whirl them. + +Gefty said, staring, "Kerim, it's going to ..." + +The janandra didn't. The motion checked suddenly, was reversed. The +locks drew tight again. The janandra swung back from the door, lifting +half its length upwards, big head weaving about as it inspected the tool +racks overhead. An arm reached suddenly, snatched something from one of +the racks. Then the thing turned again; and in the next instant its head +filled the viewscreen. Kerim made a choked sound of fright, jerking back +against Gefty. The bulging, metal-green eyes seemed to stare directly at +him. And the screen went black. + +Kerim whispered, "Wha ... what happened, Gefty?" + +Gefty swallowed, said, "It smashed the view pickup. Must have guessed we +were watching and didn't like it...." He added, "I was beginning to +think Maulbow must be some kind of superman. But it wasn't any +remote-control magic of his that let the janandra out of the vault, and +opened the intership locks when it came up to the main deck and followed +us down again. It was doing all that for itself. It's Maulbow's partner, +not his pet. And it's probably got at least as good a brain as anyone +else on board behind that ugly face." + +Kerim moistened her lips. "Can it ... could it get out again?" + +"Into the ship?" Gefty shook his head decidedly. "Uh-uh. It could dump +itself out on the other side--and it almost did before it realized where +it was and what it was about to do. But the inner lock doors won't open +until someone opens them right on this panel. No, the thing's safely +trapped. On the other hand ..." + +On the other hand, Gefty realized that he wouldn't now be able to bring +himself to eject the janandra out of the cargo lock and into the Great +Current. Its intentions obviously hadn't been friendly, but its level of +intelligence was as good as his own, and perhaps somewhat better; and at +present it was helpless. To dispose of it as he'd had in mind would +therefore be the cold-blooded murder of an equal. But so long as that +ugly and formidable shipmate of Maulbow's stayed in the cargo lock, the +lock couldn't be used to get rid of the control unit in the vault. + +A new solution presented itself while Gefty was making a rapid and +rather desperate mental review of various heavy-duty tools which might +be employed as weapons to force the janandra into submission and haul it +off for confinement elsewhere in the ship. Not impossible, but a highly +precarious and time-consuming operation at best. Then another thought +occurred: the storage vault lay directly against the hull of the +_Queen_-- + +How long to cut through the hull? The ship's mining equipment was on +board, and the tools were self-powered. Climb into a spacesuit, empty +the air from the entire storage deck, leaving the janandra imprisoned in +the cargo lock ... with Maulbow incapacitated in sick bay, and Kerim +back in the control compartment and also in a suit, for additional +protection. Then cut ship's power to this deck to avoid complications +with the _Queen's_ involved circuitry and work under space +conditions--half an hour if he hurried. + + * * * + +"Shouldn't take more than another ten minutes," he informed Kerim +presently over the suit's intercom. + +"I'm very glad to hear it, Gefty." She sounded shaky. + +"Anything going on in the screens?" he asked. + +She hesitated a little, said, "No. Not at the moment." + +Gefty grunted, blinked sweat from his eyes, and took hold of the +handgrips of the heavy mining cutter again, turning it nose down towards +the vault floor. The guide light found the point he was working on, and +the slice beam stabbed out, began nibbling delicately away to extend the +curving line it had eaten through the _Queen's_ thick skin. He had drawn +a twenty-five foot circle around Maulbow's battered control unit and the +instruments attached to it, well outside the fragile-looking safety +field. The circle was broken at four points where he would plant +explosives. The explosives, going off together, should shatter the +connecting links with the hull and throw the machine clear. If that +didn't release them immediately from its influence, he would see what +putting the _Queen's_ drives into action would do. + +"Gefty?" Kerim's voice asked. + +"Uh-huh?" + +He could hear her swallow over the intercom. "Those lights are back +now." + +"How many?" + +"Two," Kerim said. "I _think_ they're only two. They keep crossing back +and forth in front of us." She laughed nervously. "It's idiotic, of +course, but I do get the feeling they're looking at us." + +Gefty said hesitantly, "Everything's set but I need another minute or +two to get this last connection whittled down a little more. If I blow +the charge too soon, it mightn't take the gadget clean out of the ship." + +Kerim said, "I know. I'll just watch ... they just disappeared again." +Her voice changed. "Now there's something else." + +"What's that?" + +"You know you said to watch the cargo lock lights on the emergency +panel." + +"Yes." + +"The outer lock door has just been opened." + +"What!" + +"It must have been. The light started blinking red just now as I was +looking at it." + +Gefty was silent a moment, his mind racing. Why would the janandra open +the lock? From what Maulbow had said, it could live for a while without +air, but it still could gain nothing but eventual death from leaving the +ship-- + +Unless, Gefty thought, the janandra had become aware in some way that he +was about to blow their machine out of the _Queen_. There were grappling +lines in the cargo lock, and if four or five of those lines were slapped +to the circular section of the hull he'd loosened ... + +"Kerim," he said. + +"Yes?" + +"I'm going to blow the deal right now. Got your suit snapped to the wall +braces like I showed you?" + +"Yes, Gefty." Her voice was faint but clear. + +He turned the cutter away from the line it had dug, sent it rolling off +towards the far wall. He hurried around the circle, checking the four +charges, lumbered over to the vault passage, stopped just around the +corner. He took the firing box from his suit. + +"Ready, Kerim?" He opened the box. + +"Ready...." + +"Here goes!" Gefty reached into the box, twisted the firing handle. +Light flared in the vault. The deck shook below him. He came stumbling +out from behind the wall. + +Maulbow's machine and its stand of instruments had vanished. Where it +had stood was a dark circular hole. Nothing else seemed to have +happened. Gefty clumped hurriedly over to the mining cutter, swung it +around, started more cautiously back towards the hole. He didn't have +the faintest idea what would come next, but a definite possibility was +that he would see the janandra's dark form flowing up over the rim of +the hole. Letting it run into the cutter beam might be the best way to +discourage it from re-entering the _Queen_. + +[Illustration] + +Instead, a dazzling brilliance suddenly blotted out everything. The +cutter was plucked from Gefty's grasp; then he was picked up, suit and +all, and slammed up towards the vault ceiling. He had a feeling that +inaudible thunders were shaking the ship. He seemed to be rolling over +and over along the ceiling. At last, the suit crashed into something +which showed a total disinclination to yield, and Gefty blacked out. + + * * * * * + +The left side of his face felt pushed out of shape; his left eye wasn't +functioning too well, and there was a severe pulsing ache throughout the +top of his head. But Gefty felt happy. + +There were a few qualifying considerations. + +"Of course," he pointed out to Kerim, "all we can really say immediately +is that we're back in normspace and somewhere in the galaxy." + +She smiled shakily. "Isn't that saying quite a lot, Gefty?" + +"It's something." Gefty glanced around the instrument room. He had +placed an emergency light on the console, but except for that, the +control compartment was in darkness. The renewed battering the _Queen_ +had absorbed had knocked out the power in the forward section. The +viewscreens were black, every instrument dead. But he'd seen the stars +of normspace through the torn vault floor. It was something.... + +"We might have the light that slugged us to thank for that," he said. +"I'm not sure just what did happen there, but it could have been +Maulbow's control unit it was attacking rather than the ship. Maulbow +said the lights were sensitive to the unit. At any rate, we're here, and +we're rid of the gadget--and of the janandra." He hesitated. "I just +don't feel you should get your hopes too high. We may find out we're a +very long way from the Hub." + +Kerim's large eyes showed a degree of confidence which made him almost +uncomfortable. "If we are," she said serenely, "you'll get us back +somehow." + +Gefty cleared his throat. "Well, we'll see. If the power shutoff is +something the _Queen's_ repair scanners can handle, the instruments will +come back on any minute. Give the scanners ten minutes. If they haven't +done it by that time, they can't do it and I'll have to play repairman. +Then, with the instruments working, we can determine exactly where we +are." + +Unless, he told himself silently, they'd wound up in a distant cluster +never penetrated by the Federation's mapping teams. And there was the +other little question of where they now were in time. But Kerim looked +rosy with relief, and those details could wait. + +He took up another emergency light, switched it on and said, "I'll see +how Maulbow is doing while we're waiting for power. If the first aid +treatment has pulled him through so far, the autosurgeon probably can +fix him up." + +Kerim's face suddenly took on a guilty expression. "I forgot all about +Mr. Maulbow!" She hesitated. "Should I come along?" + +Gefty shook his head. "I won't need help. And if it's a case for the +surgeon, you wouldn't like it. Those things work painlessly, but it gets +to be a mess for a while." + +He shut off the light again when he reached the sick bay which was +running on its independent power system. As he opened the cabin door +from the dispensary, carrying the autosurgeon, it became evident that +Maulbow was still alive but that he might be in delirium. Gefty placed +the surgeon on the table, went over to the bed and looked at Maulbow. + +To the extent that the emergency treatment instruments' cautious +restraints permitted, Maulbow was twisting slowly about on the bed. He +was speaking in a low, rapid voice, his face distorted by emotion. The +words were not slurred, but they were in a language Gefty didn't know. +It seemed clear that Maulbow had reverted mentally to his own time, and +for some seconds he remained unaware that Gefty had entered the room. +Then, surprisingly, the slitted blue eyes opened wider and focused on +Gefty's face. And Maulbow screamed with rage. + +Gefty felt somewhat disconcerted. For the reason alone that he was under +anesthetic, Maulbow should not have been conscious. But he was. The +words were now ones Gefty could understand, and Maulbow was telling him +things which would have been interesting enough under different +circumstances. Gefty broke in as soon as he could. + +"Look," he said quietly, "I'm trying to help you. I ..." + +Maulbow interrupted him in turn, not at all quietly. Gefty listened a +moment longer, then shrugged. So Maulbow didn't like him. He couldn't +say honestly that he'd ever liked Maulbow much, and what he was hearing +made him like Maulbow considerably less. But he would keep the man from +the future alive if he could. + +He positioned the autosurgeon behind the head of the bed to allow the +device to begin its analysis, stood back at its controls where he could +both follow the progress it made and watch Maulbow without exciting him +further by remaining within his range of vision. After a moment, the +surgeon shut off the first-aid instruments and made unobtrusive use of a +heavy tranquilizing drug. Then it waited. + +Maulbow should have lapsed into passive somnolence thirty seconds +afterwards. But the drug seemed to produce no more effect on him +mentally than the preceding anesthetic. He raged and screeched on. Gefty +watched him uneasily, knowing now that he was looking at insanity. There +was nothing more he could do at the moment--the autosurgeon's decisions +were safer than any nonprofessional's guesswork. And the surgeon +continued to wait. + +Then, abruptly, Maulbow died. The taut body slumped against the bed and +the contorted features relaxed. The eyes remained half open; and when +Gefty came around to the side of the bed, they still seemed to be +looking up at him, but they no longer moved. A thin trickle of blood +started from the side of the slack mouth and stopped again. + + * * * + +The control compartment was still darkened and without power when Gefty +returned to it. He told Kerim briefly what had happened, added, "I'm not +at all sure now he was even human. I'd rather believe he wasn't." + +"Why that, Gefty?" She was studying his expression soberly. + +Gefty hesitated, said, "I thought at first he was furious because we'd +upset his plans. But they weren't his plans ... they were the +janandra's. He wasn't exactly its servant. I suppose you'd have to say +he was something like a pet animal." + +Kerim said incredulously, "But that isn't possible! Think of how +intelligently Mr. Maulbow ..." + +"He was following instructions," Gefty said. "The janandra let him know +whatever it wanted done. He was following instructions again when he +tried to kill me after I'd got away from the thing in the vault. The +real brain around here was the janandra ... and it was a real brain. +With a little luck it would have had the ship." + +Kerim smiled briefly. "You handled that big brain rather well, I think." + +"I was the one who got lucky," Gefty said. "Anyway, where Maulbow came +from, it's the janandra's kind that gives the orders. And the thing is, +Maulbow liked it that way. He didn't want it to be different. When the +light hit us, it killed the janandra on the outside of the ship. Maulbow +felt it happen and it cracked him up. He wanted to kill us for it. But +since he was helpless, he killed himself. He didn't want to be +healed--not by us. At least, that's what it looks like." + +He shrugged, checked his watch, climbed out of the chair. "Well," he +said, "the ten minutes I gave the _Queen_ to turn the power back on are +up. Looks like the old girl couldn't do it. So I'll--" + +The indirect lighting system in the instrument room went on silently. +The emergency light flickered and went out. Gefty's head came around. + +Kerim was staring past him at the screens, her face radiant. + +"Oh, Gefty!" she cried softly. "Oh, Gefty! Our stars!" + + * * * * * + +"Green dot here is us," Gefty explained, somewhat hoarsely. He cleared +his throat, went on, "Our true ship position, that is--" He stopped, +realizing he was talking too much, almost babbling, in an attempt to +take some of the tension out of the moment. The next few seconds might +not tell them where they were, but it would show whether they had been +carried beyond the regions of space charted by Federation instruments. +Which would mean the difference between having a chance--whether a good +chance or a bad one--of getting home eventually, and the alternative of +being hopelessly lost. + +There had been nothing recognizably familiar about the brilliantly dense +star patterns in the viewscreens, but he gave no further thought to +that. Unless the ship's exact position was known or one was on an +established route, it was a waste of time looking for landmarks in a +sizable cluster. + +He turned on the basic star chart. Within the locator plate the green +pinpoint of light reappeared, red-ringed and suspended now against the +three-dimensional immensities of the Milky Way. It stayed still a +moment, began a smooth drift towards Galactic East. Gefty let his breath +out carefully. He sensed Kerim's eyes on him but kept his gaze fixed on +the locator plate. + +The green dot slowed, came to a stop. Gefty's finger tapped the same +button four times. The big chart flicked out of existence, and in the +plate three regional star maps appeared and vanished in quick succession +behind it. The fourth map stayed. For a few seconds, the red-circled +green spark was not visible here. Then it showed at the eastern margin +of the map, came gliding forwards and to the left, slowed again and +held steady. Now the star map began to glide through the locator plate, +carrying the fixed green dot with it. It brought the dot up to dead +center point in the locator plate and stopped. + +Gefty slumped a little. He rubbed his hands slowly down his face and +muttered a few words. Then he shook his head. + +"Gefty," Kerim whispered, "what is it? Where are we?" + +Gefty looked at her. + +"After we got hauled into that time current," he said hoarsely, "I tried +to find out which way in space we were headed. The direction indicators +over there seemed to show we were trying to go everywhere at once. You +remember Maulbow's control unit wasn't working right, needed +adjustments. Well, all those little impulses must have pretty well +canceled out because we weren't taken really far. In the last hour and a +half we've covered roughly the distance the _Queen_ could have gone on +her own in, say, thirty days." + +"Then where ..." + +"Home," Gefty said simply. "It's ridiculous! Other side of the Hub from +where we started." He nodded at the plate. "Eastern Hub Quadrant. +Section Six Eight. The G2 behind the green dot--that's the Evalee +system. We could be putting down at Evalee Interstellar three hours from +now if we wanted to." + +Kerim was laughing and crying together. "Oh, Gefty! I knew you would ..." + +"A fat lot I had to do with it!" Gefty leaned forward suddenly, switched +on the transmitter. "And now let's pick up a live newscast. There's +something else I ..." + +His voice trailed off. The transmitter screen lit up with a blurred +jumble of print, colors, a muttering of voices, music and noises. Gefty +twisted a dial. The screen cleared, showed a newscast headline sheet. +Gefty blinked at it, glanced sideways at Kerim, grimaced. + +"The something else," he said, his voice a little strained, "was +something I was also worried about. Looks like I was more or less +right." + +"Why, what's wrong?" + +"Nothing really bad," Gefty assured her. He added, "I think. But take a +look at the Federation dateline." + +Kerim peered at the screen, frowned. "But ..." + +"Uh-huh." + +"Why, that ... that's almost ..." + +"That," Gefty said, "or rather _this_ is the day after we started out +from the Hub, headed roughly Galactic west. Three weeks ago. We'd be +just past Miam." He knuckled his chin. "Interesting thought, isn't it?" + +Kerim was silent for long seconds. "Then they ... or we ..." + +"Oh, they're us, all right," Gefty said. "They'd have to be, wouldn't +they?" + +"I suppose so. It seems a little confusing. But I was thinking. If you +send them a transmitter call ..." + +Gefty shook his head. "The _Queen's_ transmitter isn't too hot, but it +might push a call as far as Evalee. Then we could arrange for a Com-Web +link-up there, and in another ten minutes or so ... but I don't think +we'd better." + +"Why not?" Kerim demanded. + +"Because we got through it all safely, so we're going to get through it +safely. But if we receive that message now and never go on to Maulbow's +moon ... you see? There's no way of knowing just what would happen." + +Kerim looked hesitant, frowned. "I suppose you're right," she agreed +reluctantly at last. "So Mr. Maulbow will have to stay dead now. And +that janandra." After a moment she added pensively, "Of course, they +weren't really very nice--" + +Gefty shivered. One of the things he'd learned from Maulbow's ravings +was the real reason he and Kerim had been taken along on the trip. He +didn't feel like telling Kerim about it just yet, but it had been solely +because of Maulbow's concern for his master's creature comforts. The +janandra could go for a long time without food, but after fasting for +several years on the moon, a couple of snacks on the homeward run would +have been highly welcome. + +And the janandra was a gourmet. It much preferred, as Maulbow well knew, +to have its snacks still wriggling-fresh as it started them down its +gullet. + +"No," Gefty said, "I couldn't call either of them really nice." + + + + +Transcriber's Note: + + This etext was produced from _Analog_ September 1962. Extensive + research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on + this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and typographical + errors have been corrected without note. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Winds of Time, by James H. Schmitz + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WINDS OF TIME *** + +***** This file should be named 24395.txt or 24395.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/4/3/9/24395/ + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +https://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at https://www.pglaf.org. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at +https://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at https://pglaf.org + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit https://pglaf.org + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including including checks, online payments and credit card +donations. To donate, please visit: https://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + https://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. diff --git a/24395.zip b/24395.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..3e5738e --- /dev/null +++ b/24395.zip diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..282fc2e --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #24395 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/24395) |
