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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf 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..04ce70c --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #51833 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/51833) diff --git a/old/51833-h.zip b/old/51833-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index ef8d48d..0000000 --- a/old/51833-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/51833-h/51833-h.htm b/old/51833-h/51833-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index 2a6ee23..0000000 --- a/old/51833-h/51833-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,2487 +0,0 @@ -<!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" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> - <head> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=us-ascii" /> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> - <title> - The Project Gutenberg eBook of Meeting of the Minds, by Robert Sheckley. - </title> - <link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg" /> - - <style type="text/css"> - -body { - margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - - h1,h2 { - text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ - clear: both; -} - -p { - margin-top: .51em; - text-align: justify; - margin-bottom: .49em; -} - -hr { - width: 33%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 2em; - margin-left: 33.5%; - margin-right: 33.5%; - clear: both; -} - -hr.chap {width: 65%; margin-left: 17.5%; margin-right: 17.5%;} -hr.tb {width: 45%; margin-left: 27.5%; margin-right: 27.5%;} - -.center {text-align: center;} - -.right {text-align: right;} - -.caption {font-weight: bold;} - -/* Images */ -.figcenter { - margin: auto; - text-align: center; -} - -div.titlepage { - text-align: center; - page-break-before: always; - page-break-after: always; -} - -div.titlepage p { - text-align: center; - text-indent: 0em; - font-weight: bold; - line-height: 1.5; - margin-top: 3em; -} - -.ph1, .ph2, .ph3, .ph4 { text-align: center; text-indent: 0em; font-weight: bold; } -.ph1 { font-size: xx-large; margin: .67em auto; } -.ph2 { font-size: x-large; margin: .75em auto; } -.ph3 { font-size: large; margin: .83em auto; } -.ph4 { font-size: medium; margin: 1.12em auto; } - - - </style> - </head> -<body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Meeting of the Minds, by Robert Sheckley - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world 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. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Meeting of the Minds - -Author: Robert Sheckley - -Release Date: April 22, 2016 [EBook #51833] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MEETING OF THE MINDS *** - - - - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/cover.jpg" width="394" height="500" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="titlepage"> -<h1>Meeting of the Minds</h1> - -<p>By ROBERT SHECKLEY</p> - -<p>Illustrated by DICK FRANCIS</p> - -<p>[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from<br /> -Galaxy Magazine February 1960.<br /> -Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that<br /> -the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]</p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph3"><i>What mission had the Quedak been given?<br /> -Even he couldn't remember any more—but<br /> -he refused to die till it was completed!</i></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph4">PART ONE</p> - -<p>The Quedak lay on a small hilltop and watched a slender jet of light -descend through the sky. The feather-tailed jet was golden, and -brighter than the sun. Poised above it was a glistening metallic -object, fabricated rather than natural, hauntingly familiar. The Quedak -tried to think what it was.</p> - -<p>He couldn't remember. His memories had atrophied with his functions, -leaving only scattered fragments of images. He searched among them now, -leafing through his brief scraps of ruined cities, dying populations, a -blue-water-filled canal, two moons, a spaceship....</p> - -<p>That was it. The descending object was a <i>spaceship</i>. There had been -many of them during the great days of the Quedak.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus1.jpg" width="600" height="322" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Those great days were over, buried forever beneath the powdery sands. -Only the Quedak remained. He had life and he had a mission to perform. -The driving urgency of his mission remained, even after memory and -function had failed.</p> - -<p>As the Quedak watched, the spaceship dipped lower. It wobbled and -sidejets kicked out to straighten it. With a gentle explosion of dust, -the spaceship settled tail first on the arid plain.</p> - -<p>And the Quedak, driven by the imperative Quedak mission, dragged itself -painfully down from the little hilltop. Every movement was an agony. If -he were a selfish creature, the Quedak would have died. But he was not -selfish. Quedaks owed a duty to the universe; and that spaceship, after -all the blank years, was a link to other worlds, to planets where the -Quedak could live again and give his services to the native fauna.</p> - -<p>He crawled, a centimeter at a time, and wondered whether he had the -strength to reach the alien spaceship before it left this dusty, dead -planet.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Captain Jensen of the spaceship <i>Southern Cross</i> was bored sick with -Mars. He and his men had been here for ten days. They had found no -important archeological specimens, no tantalizing hints of ancient -cities such as the <i>Polaris</i> expedition had discovered at the South -Pole. Here there was nothing but sand, a few weary shrubs, and a -rolling hill or two. Their biggest find so far had been three pottery -shards.</p> - -<p>Jensen readjusted his oxygen booster. Over the rise of a hill he saw -his two men returning.</p> - -<p>"Anything interesting?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"Just this," said engineer Vayne, holding up an inch of corroded blade -without a handle.</p> - -<p>"Better than nothing," Jensen said. "How about you, Wilks?"</p> - -<p>The navigator shrugged his shoulders. "Just photographs of the -landscape."</p> - -<p>"OK," Jensen said. "Dump everything into the sterilizer and let's get -going."</p> - -<p>Wilks looked mournful. "Captain, one quick sweep to the north might -turn up something really—"</p> - -<p>"Not a chance," Jensen said. "Fuel, food, water, everything was -calculated for a ten-day stay. That's three days longer than <i>Polaris</i> -had. We're taking off this evening."</p> - -<p>The men nodded. They had no reason to complain. As the second to land -on Mars, they were sure of a small but respectable footnote in the -history books. They put their equipment through the sterilizer vent, -sealed it, and climbed the ladder to the lock. Once they were inside, -Vayne closed and dogged the hatch, and started to open the inside -pressure door.</p> - -<p>"Hold it!" Jensen called out.</p> - -<p>"What's the matter?"</p> - -<p>"I thought I saw something on your boot," Jensen said. "Something like -a big bug."</p> - -<p>Vayne quickly ran his hands down the sides of his boots. The two men -circled him, examining his clothing.</p> - -<p>"Shut that inner door," the captain said. "Wilks, did you see anything?"</p> - -<p>"Not a thing," the navigator said. "Are you sure, Cap? We haven't found -anything that looks like animal or insect life here. Only a few plants."</p> - -<p>"I could have sworn I saw something," Jensen said. "Maybe I was -wrong.... Anyhow, we'll fumigate our clothes before we enter the ship -proper. No sense taking any chance of bringing back some kind of -Martian bug."</p> - -<p>The men removed their clothing and boots and stuffed them into the -chute. They searched the bare steel room carefully.</p> - -<p>"Nothing here," Jensen said at last. "OK, let's go inside."</p> - -<p>Once inside the ship, they sealed off the lock and fumigated it. The -Quedak, who had crept inside earlier through the partially opened -pressure door, listened to the distant hiss of gas. After a while he -heard the jets begin to fire.</p> - -<p>The Quedak retreated to the dark rear of the ship. He found a metal -shelf and attached himself to the underside of it near the wall. After -a while he felt the ship tremble.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The Quedak clung to the shelf during the long, slow flight through -space. He had forgotten what spaceships were like, but now memory -revived briefly. He felt blazing heat and freezing cold. Adjusting to -the temperature changes drained his small store of vitality, and the -Quedak began to wonder if he was going to die.</p> - -<p>He <i>refused</i> to die. Not while there was still a possibility of -accomplishing the Quedak mission.</p> - -<p>In time he felt the harsh pull of gravity, and felt the main jets -firing again. The ship was coming down to its planet.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>After a routine landing, Captain Jensen and his men were taken to Medic -Checkpoint, where they were thumped, probed and tested for any sign of -disease.</p> - -<p>Their spaceship was lowered to a flatcar and taken past rows of -moonships and ICBMs to Decontamination Stage One. Here the sealed outer -hull was washed down with powerful cleansing sprays. By evening, the -ship was taken to Decontamination Stage Two.</p> - -<p>A team of two inspectors equipped with bulky tanks and hoses undogged -the hatch and entered, shutting the hatch behind them.</p> - -<p>They began at the bow, methodically spraying as they moved toward the -rear. Everything seemed in order; no animals or plants, no trace of -mold such as the first Luna expedition had brought back.</p> - -<p>"Do you really think this is necessary?" the assistant inspector asked. -He had already requested a transfer to Flight Control.</p> - -<p>"Sure it is," the senior inspector said. "Can't tell what these ships -might bring in."</p> - -<p>"I suppose so," the assistant said. "Still, a Martian whoosis wouldn't -even be able to live on Earth. Would it?"</p> - -<p>"How should I know?" the senior inspector said. "I'm no botanist. Maybe -they don't know, either."</p> - -<p>"Seems like a waste of—hey!"</p> - -<p>"What is it?" the senior inspector asked.</p> - -<p>"I thought I saw something," the assistant said. "Looked a little like -a palmetto bug. Over by that shelf."</p> - -<p>The senior inspector adjusted his respirator more snugly over his face -and motioned to his assistant to do the same. He advanced slowly toward -the shelf, unfastening a second nozzle from the pressure tank on his -back. He turned it on, and a cloud of greenish gas sprayed out.</p> - -<p>"There," the senior inspector said. "That should take care of your -bug." He knelt down and looked under the shelf. "Nothing here."</p> - -<p>"It was probably a shadow," the assistant said.</p> - -<p>Together they sprayed the entire interior of the ship, paying -particular attention to the small box of Martian artifacts. They left -the gas-filled ship and dogged the hatch again.</p> - -<p>"Now what?" the assistant asked.</p> - -<p>"Now we leave the ship sealed for three days," the senior inspector -said. "Then we inspect again. You find me the animal that'll live -through that."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The Quedak, who had been clinging to the underside of the assistant's -shoe between the heel and the sole, released his hold. He watched the -shadowy biped figures move away, talking in their deep, rumbling, -indecipherable voices. He felt tired and unutterably lonely.</p> - -<p>But buoying him up was the thought of the Quedak mission. Only that -was important. The first part of the mission was accomplished. He had -landed safely on an inhabited planet. Now he needed food and drink. -Then he had to have rest, a great deal of rest to restore his dormant -faculties. After that he would be ready to give this world what it so -obviously needed—the cooperation possible only through the Quedak mind.</p> - -<p>He crept slowly down the shadowy yard, past the deserted hulls of -spaceships. He came to a wire fence and sensed the high-voltage -electricity running through it. Gauging his distance carefully, the -Quedak jumped safely through one of the openings in the mesh.</p> - -<p>This was a very different section. From here the Quedak could smell -water and food. He moved hastily forward, then stopped.</p> - -<p>He sensed the presence of a man. And something else. Something much -more menacing.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>"Who's there?" the watchman called out. He waited, his revolver in one -hand, his flashlight in the other. Thieves had broken into the yards -last week; they had stolen three cases of computer parts bound for Rio. -Tonight he was ready for them.</p> - -<p>He walked forward, an old, keen-eyed man holding his revolver in a -rock-steady fist. The beam of his flashlight probed among the cargoes. -The yellow light flickered along a great pile of precision machine -tools for South Africa, past a water-extraction plant for Jordan and a -pile of mixed goods for Rabaul.</p> - -<p>"You better come out," the watchman shouted. His flashlight probed at -sacks of rice for Shanghai and power saws for Burma. Then the beam of -light stopped abruptly.</p> - -<p>"I'll be damned," the watchman said. Then he laughed. A huge and -red-eyed rat was glaring into the beam of his flashlight. It had -something in its jaws, something that looked like an unusually large -cockroach.</p> - -<p>"Good eating," the watchman said. He holstered his revolver and -continued his patrol.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>A large black animal had seized the Quedak, and he felt heavy jaws -close over his back. He tried to fight; but, blinded by a sudden beam -of yellow light, he was betrayed by total and enervating confusion.</p> - -<p>The yellow light went off. The black beast bit down hard on the -Quedak's armored back. The Quedak mustered his remaining strength, and, -uncoiling his long, scorpion-jointed tail, lashed out.</p> - -<p>He missed, but the black beast released him hastily. They circled -each other, the Quedak hoisting his tail for a second blow, the beast -unwilling to turn loose this prey.</p> - -<p>The Quedak waited for his chance. Elation filled him. This pugnacious -animal could be the first, the first on this planet to experience the -Quedak mission. From this humble creature a start could be made....</p> - -<p>The beast sprang and its white teeth clicked together viciously. -The Quedak moved out of the way and its barb-headed tail flashed -out, fastening itself in the beast's back. The Quedak held on grimly -while the beast leaped and squirmed. Setting his feet, the Quedak -concentrated on the all-important task of pumping a tiny white crystal -down the length of his tail and under the beast's skin.</p> - -<p>But this most important of the Quedak faculties was still dormant. -Unable to accomplish anything, the Quedak released his barbs, and, -taking careful aim, accurately drove his sting home between the black -beast's eyes. The blow, as the Quedak had known, was lethal.</p> - -<p>The Quedak took nourishment from the body of its dead foe; regretfully, -for by inclination the Quedak was herbivorous. When he had finished, -the Quedak knew that he was in desperate need of a long period of rest. -Only after that could the full Quedak powers be regained.</p> - -<p>He crawled up and down the piles of goods in the yard, looking for a -place to hide. Carefully he examined several bales. At last he reached -a stack of heavy boxes. One of the boxes had a crack just large enough -to admit him.</p> - -<p>The Quedak crawled inside, down the shiny, oil-slick surface of a -machine, to the far end of the box. There he went into the dreamless, -defenseless sleep of the Quedak, serenely trusting in what the future -would bring.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph4">PART TWO</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph4">I</p> - -<p>The big gaff-headed schooner was pointed directly at the reef-enclosed -island, moving toward it with the solidity of an express train. The -sails billowed under powerful gusts of the northwest breeze, and the -rusty Allison-Chambers diesel rumbled beneath a teak grating. The -skipper and mate stood on the bridge deck and watched the reef approach.</p> - -<p>"Anything yet?" the skipper asked. He was a stocky, balding man with -a perpetual frown on his face. He had been sailing his schooner among -the uncharted shoals and reefs of the Southwest Pacific for twenty-five -years. He frowned because his old ship was not insurable. His deck -cargo, however, <i>was</i> insured. Some of it had come all the way from -Ogdensville, that transshipment center in the desert where spaceships -landed.</p> - -<p>"Not a thing," the mate said. He was watching the dazzling white wall -of coral, looking for the gleam of blue that would reveal the narrow -pass to the inner lagoon. This was his first trip to the Solomon -Islands. A former television repairman in Sydney before he got the -wanderlust, the mate wondered if the skipper had gone crazy and planned -a spectacular suicide against the reef.</p> - -<p>"Still nothing!" he shouted. "Shoals ahead!"</p> - -<p>"I'll take it," the skipper said to the helmsman. He gripped the wheel -and watched the unbroken face of the reef.</p> - -<p>"Nothing," the mate said. "Skipper, we'd better come about."</p> - -<p>"Not if we're going to get through the pass," the skipper said. He was -beginning to get worried. But he had promised to deliver goods to the -American treasure-hunters on this island, and the skipper's word was -his bond. He had picked up the cargo in Rabaul and made his usual stops -at the settlements on New Georgia and Malaita. When he finished here, -he could look forward to a thousand-mile run to New Caledonia.</p> - -<p>"There it is!" the mate shouted.</p> - -<p>A thin slit of blue had appeared in the coral wall. They were less than -thirty yards from it now, and the old schooner was making close to -eight knots.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>As the ship entered the pass, the skipper threw the wheel hard over. -The schooner spun on its keel. Coral flashed by on either side, close -enough to touch. There was a metallic shriek as an upper main-mast -spreader snagged and came free. Then they were in the pass, bucking a -six-knot current.</p> - -<p>The mate pushed the diesel to full throttle, then sprang back to help -the skipper wrestle with the wheel. Under sail and power the schooner -forged through the pass, scraped by an outcropping to port, and came -onto the placid surface of the lagoon.</p> - -<p>The skipper mopped his forehead with a large blue bandanna. "Very snug -work," he said.</p> - -<p>"<i>Snug!</i>" the mate cried. He turned away, and the skipper smiled a -brief smile.</p> - -<p>They slid past a small ketch riding at anchor. The native hands took -down sail and the schooner nosed up to a rickety pier that jutted out -from the beach. Lines were made fast to palm trees. From the fringe of -jungle above the beach a white man came down, walking briskly in the -noonday heat.</p> - -<p>He was very tall and thin, with knobby knees and elbows. The fierce -Melanesian sun had burned out but not tanned him, and his nose and -cheekbones were peeling. His horn-rimmed glasses had broken at the -hinge and been repaired with a piece of tape. He looked eager, boyish, -and curiously naive.</p> - -<p>One hell-of-a-looking treasure-hunter, the mate thought.</p> - -<p>"Glad to see you!" the man called out. "We'd about given you up for -lost."</p> - -<p>"Not likely," the skipper said. "Mr. Sorensen, I'd like you to meet my -new mate, Mr. Willis."</p> - -<p>"Glad to meet you, Professor," the mate said.</p> - -<p>"I'm not a professor," Sorensen said, "but thanks anyhow."</p> - -<p>"Where are the others?" the skipper asked.</p> - -<p>"Out in the jungle," Sorensen said. "All except Drake, and he'll be -down here shortly. You'll stay a while, won't you?"</p> - -<p>"Only to unload," the skipper said. "Have to catch the tide out of -here. How's the treasure-hunting?"</p> - -<p>"We've done a lot of digging," Sorensen said. "We still have our hopes."</p> - -<p>"But no doubloons yet?" the skipper asked. "No pieces of eight?"</p> - -<p>"Not a damned one," Sorensen said wearily. "Did you bring the -newspapers, Skipper?"</p> - -<p>"That I did," Sorensen replied. "They're in the cabin. Did you hear -about that second spaceship going to Mars?"</p> - -<p>"Heard about it on the short wave," Sorensen said. "It didn't bring -back much, did it?"</p> - -<p>"Practically nothing. Still, just think of it. <i>Two</i> spaceships to -Mars, and I hear they're getting ready to put one on Venus."</p> - -<p>The three men looked around them and grinned.</p> - -<p>"Well," the skipper said, "I guess maybe the space age hasn't reached -the Southwest Pacific yet. And it certainly hasn't gotten to <i>this</i> -place. Come on, let's unload the cargo."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>This place was the island of Vuanu, southernmost of the Solomons, -almost in the Louisade Archipelago. It was a fair-sized volcanic -island, almost twenty miles long and several wide. Once it had -supported half a dozen native villages. But the population had begun to -decline after the depredations of the blackbirders in the 1850s. Then -a measles epidemic wiped out almost all the rest, and the survivors -emigrated to New Georgia. A ship-watcher had been stationed here during -the Second World War, but no ships had come this way. The Japanese -invasion had poured across New Guinea and the upper Solomons, and -further north through Micronesia. At the end of the war Vuanu was still -deserted. It was not made into a bird sanctuary like Canton Island, -or a cable station like Christmas Island, or a refueling point like -Cocos-Keeling. No one even wanted to explode alphabet bombs on it. -Vuanu was a worthless, humid, jungle-covered piece of land, free to -anyone who wanted it.</p> - -<p>William Sorensen, general manager of a chain of liquor stores in -California, decided he wanted it.</p> - -<p>Sorensen's hobby was treasure-hunting. He had looked for Lafitte's -treasure in Louisiana and Texas, and for the Lost Dutchman Mine -in Arizona. He had found neither. His luck had been better on the -wreck-strewn Gulf coast, and on an expedition to Dagger Cay in the -Caribbean he had found a double handful of Spanish coins in a rotting -canvas bag. The coins were worth about three thousand dollars. The -expedition had cost very much more, but Sorensen felt amply repaid.</p> - -<p>For many years he had been interested in the Spanish treasure galleon -<i>Santa Teresa</i>. Contemporary accounts told how the ship, heavily laden -with bullion, sailed from Manila in 1689. The clumsy ship, caught in a -storm, had run off to the south and been wrecked. Eighteen survivors -managed to get ashore with the treasure. They buried it, and set sail -for the Phillipines in the ship's pinnacle. Two of them were alive when -the boat reached Manila.</p> - -<p>The treasure island was tentatively identified as one of the Solomons. -But which one?</p> - -<p>No one knew. Treasure-hunters looked for the cache on Bougainville -and Buka. There was a rumor about it on Malaita, and even Ontong Java -received an expedition. But no treasure was recovered.</p> - -<p>Sorensen, researching the problem thoroughly, decided that the <i>Santa -Teresa</i> had sailed completely through the Solomons, almost to the -Louisades. The ship must have escaped destruction until it crashed into -the reef at Vuanu.</p> - -<p>His desire to search for the treasure might have remained only a dream -if he hadn't met Dan Drake. Drake was also an amateur treasure-hunter. -More important, he owned a fifty-five-foot Hanna ketch.</p> - -<p>Over an evening's drinks the Vuanu expedition was born.</p> - -<p>Additional members were recruited. Drake's ketch was put into seagoing -condition, equipment and money saved or gathered. Several other -possible treasure sites in the Southwest Pacific were researched. -Finally, vacation time was synchronized and the expedition got under -way.</p> - -<p>They had put in three months' work on Vuanu already. Their morale was -high, in spite of inevitable conflicts between members. This schooner, -bringing in supplies from Sydney and Rabaul, was the last civilized -contact they would have for another six months.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>While Sorensen nervously supervised, the crew of the schooner unloaded -the cargo. He didn't want any of the equipment, some of it shipped over -six thousand miles, to be broken now. No replacements were possible; -whatever they didn't have, they would have to do without. He breathed -out in relief when the last crate, containing a metals detector, was -safely hoisted over the side and put on the beach above the high-water -mark.</p> - -<p>There was something odd about that box. He examined it and found a -quarter-sized hole in one end. It had not been properly sealed.</p> - -<p>Dan Drake, the co-manager of the expedition, joined him. "What's -wrong?" Drake asked.</p> - -<p>"Hole in that crate," Sorensen said. "Salt water might have gotten in. -We'll be in tough shape if this detector doesn't work."</p> - -<p>Drake nodded. "We better open it and see." He was a short, deeply -tanned, broad-chested man with close-cropped black hair and a straggly -mustache. He wore an old yachting cap jammed down over his eyes, giving -his face a tough bulldog look. He pulled a big screwdriver from his -belt and inserted it into the crack.</p> - -<p>"Wait a moment," Sorensen said. "Let's get it up to the camp first. -Easier to carry the crate than something packed in grease."</p> - -<p>"Right," Drake said. "Take the other end."</p> - -<p>The camp was built in a clearing a hundred yards from the beach, on the -site of an abandoned native village. They had been able to re-thatch -several huts, and there was an old copra shed with a galvanized iron -roof where they stored their supplies. Here they got the benefit of any -breeze from the sea. Beyond the clearing, the gray-green jungle sprang -up like a solid wall.</p> - -<p>Sorensen and Drake set the case down. The skipper, who had accompanied -them with the newspapers, looked around at the bleak huts and shook his -head.</p> - -<p>"Would you like a drink, Skipper?" Sorensen asked. "Afraid we can't -offer any ice."</p> - -<p>"A drink would be fine," the skipper said. He wondered what drove -men to a godforsaken place like this in search of imaginary Spanish -treasure.</p> - -<p>Sorensen went into one of the huts and brought out a bottle of Scotch -and a tin cup. Drake had taken out his screwdriver and was vigorously -ripping boards off the crate.</p> - -<p>"How does it look?" Sorensen asked.</p> - -<p>"It's OK," Drake said, gently lifting out the metals detector. "Heavily -greased. Doesn't seem like there was any damage—"</p> - -<p>He jumped back. The skipper had come forward and stamped down heavily -on the sand.</p> - -<p>"What's the matter?" Sorensen asked.</p> - -<p>"Looked like a scorpion," the skipper said. "Damned thing crawled right -out of your crate there. Might have bit you."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Sorensen shrugged. He had gotten used to the presence of an infinite -number of insects during his three months on Vuanu. Another bug more or -less didn't seem to make much difference.</p> - -<p>"Another drink?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"Can't do it," the skipper said regretfully. "I'd better get started. -All your party healthy?"</p> - -<p>"All healthy so far," Sorensen said. He smiled. "Except for some bad -cases of gold fever."</p> - -<p>"You'll never find gold in this place," the skipper said seriously. -"I'll look in on you in about six months. Good luck."</p> - -<p>After shaking hands, the skipper went down to the beach and boarded his -ship. As the first pink flush of sunset touched the sky, the schooner -was under way. Sorensen and Drake watched it negotiate the pass. For a -few minutes its masts were visible above the reef. Then they had dipped -below the horizon.</p> - -<p>"That's that," Drake said. "Us crazy American treasure-hunters are -alone again."</p> - -<p>"You don't think he suspected anything?" Sorensen asked.</p> - -<p>"Definitely not. As far as he's concerned, we're just crackpots."</p> - -<p>Grinning, they looked back at their camp. Under the copra shed was -nearly fifty thousand dollars worth of gold and silver bullion, dug out -of the jungle and carefully reburied. They had located a part of the -<i>Santa Teresa</i> treasure during their first month on the island. There -was every indication of more to come. Since they had no legal title to -the land, the expedition was not eager to let the news get out. Once it -was known, every gold-hungry vagabond from Perth to Papeete would be -heading to Vuanu.</p> - -<p>"The boy'll be in soon," Drake said. "Let's get some stew going."</p> - -<p>"Right," Sorensen said. He took a few steps and stopped. "That's funny."</p> - -<p>"What is?"</p> - -<p>"That scorpion the skipper squashed. It's gone."</p> - -<p>"Maybe he missed it," Drake said. "Or maybe he just pushed it down into -the sand. What difference does it make?"</p> - -<p>"None, I guess," Sorensen said.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph4">II</p> - -<p>Edward Eakins walked through the jungle with a long-handled spade on -his shoulder, sucking reflectively on a piece of candy. It was the -first he'd had in weeks, and he was enjoying it to the utmost. He -was in very good spirits. The schooner yesterday had brought in not -only machinery and replacement parts, but also candy, cigarettes and -food. He had eaten scrambled eggs this morning, and real bacon. The -expedition was becoming almost civilized.</p> - -<p>Something rustled in the bushes near him. He marched on, ignoring it.</p> - -<p>He was a lean, sandy-haired man, amiable and slouching, with pale blue -eyes and an unprepossessing manner. He felt very lucky to have been -taken on the expedition. His gas station didn't put him on a financial -par with the others, and he hadn't been able to put up a full share -of the money. He still felt guilty about that. He had been accepted -because he was an eager and indefatigable treasure-hunter with a good -knowledge of jungle ways. Equally important, he was a skilled radio -operator and repairman. He had kept the transmitter on the ketch in -working condition in spite of salt water and mildew.</p> - -<p>He could pay his full share now, of course. But <i>now</i>, when they were -practically rich, didn't really count. He wished there were some way he -could—</p> - -<p>There was that rustle in the bushes again.</p> - -<p>Eakins stopped and waited. The bushes trembled. And out stepped a mouse.</p> - -<p>Eakins was amazed. The mice on this island, like most wild animal life, -were terrified of man. Although they feasted off the refuse of the -camp—when the rats didn't get it first—they carefully avoided any -contact with humans.</p> - -<p>"You better get yourself home," Eakins said to the mouse.</p> - -<p>The mouse stared at him. He stared back. It was a pretty little mouse, -no more than four or five inches long, and colored a light tawny brown. -It didn't seem afraid.</p> - -<p>"So long, mouse," Eakins said. "I got work to do." He shifted his spade -to the other shoulder and turned to go. As he turned, he caught a flash -of brown out of the corner of his eye. Instinctively he ducked. The -mouse whirled past him, turned, and gathered itself for another leap.</p> - -<p>"Mouse, are you out of your head?" Eakins asked.</p> - -<p>The mouse bared its tiny teeth and sprang. Eakins knocked it aside.</p> - -<p>"Now get the hell out of here," he said. He was beginning to wonder if -the rodent was crazy. Did it have rabies, perhaps?</p> - -<p>The mouse gathered itself for another charge. Eakins lifted the spade -off his shoulders and waited. When the mouse sprang, he met it with a -carefully timed blow. Then carefully, regretfully, he battered it to -death.</p> - -<p>"Can't have rabid mice running around," he said.</p> - -<p>But the mouse hadn't seemed rabid; it had just seemed very determined.</p> - -<p>Eakins scratched his head. Now what, he wondered, had gotten into that -little mouse?</p> - -<p>In the camp that evening, Eakins' story was greeted with hoots of -laughter. It was just like Eakins to be attacked by a mouse. Several -men suggested that he go armed in case the mouse's family wanted -revenge. Eakins just smiled sheepishly.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Two days later, Sorensen and Al Cable were finishing up a morning's -hard work at Site 4, two miles from the camp. The metals detector had -shown marked activity at this spot. They were seven feet down and -nothing had been produced yet except a high mound of yellow-brown earth.</p> - -<p>"That detector must be wrong," Cable said, wiping his face wearily. -He was a big, pinkish man. He had sweated off twenty pounds on Vuanu, -picked up a bad case of prickly heat, and had enough treasure-hunting -to last him a lifetime. He wished he were back in Baltimore taking care -of his used-car agency. He didn't hesitate to say so, often and loudly. -He was one member who had not worked out well.</p> - -<p>"Nothing wrong with the detector," Sorensen said. "Trouble is, we're -digging in swampy ground. The cache must have sunk."</p> - -<p>"It's probably a hundred feet down," Cable said, stabbing angrily at -the gluey mud.</p> - -<p>"Nope," Sorensen said. "There's volcanic rock under us, no more than -twenty feet down."</p> - -<p>"Twenty feet? We should have a bulldozer."</p> - -<p>"Might be costly bringing one in," Sorensen said mildly. "Come on, Al, -let's get back to camp."</p> - -<p>Sorensen helped Cable out of the excavation. They cleaned off their -tools and started toward the narrow path leading back to the camp. They -stopped abruptly.</p> - -<p>A large, ugly bird had stepped out of the brush. It was standing on the -path, blocking their way.</p> - -<p>"What in hell is that?" Cable asked.</p> - -<p>"A cassowary," Sorensen said.</p> - -<p>"Well, let's boot it out of the way and get going."</p> - -<p>"Take it easy," Sorensen said. "If anyone does any booting, it'll be -the bird. Back away slowly."</p> - -<p>The cassowary was nearly five feet high, a black-feathered ostrich-like -bird standing erect on powerful legs. Each of its feet was three-toed, -and the toes curved into heavy talons. It had a yellowish, bony head -and short, useless wings. From its neck hung a brilliant wattle colored -red, green, and purple.</p> - -<p>"It is dangerous?" Cable asked.</p> - -<p>Sorensen nodded. "Natives on New Guinea have been kicked to death by -those birds."</p> - -<p>"Why haven't we seen it before?" Cable asked.</p> - -<p>"They're usually very shy," Sorensen said. "They stay as far from -people as they can."</p> - -<p>"This one sure isn't shy," Cable said, as the cassowary took a step -toward them. "Can we run?"</p> - -<p>"The bird can run a lot faster," Sorensen said. "I don't suppose you -have a gun with you?"</p> - -<p>"Of course not. There's been nothing to shoot."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Backing away, they held their spades like spears. The brush crackled -and an anteater emerged. It was followed by a wild pig. The three -beasts converged on the men, backing them toward the dense wall of the -jungle.</p> - -<p>"They're herding us," Cable said, his voice going shrill.</p> - -<p>"Take it easy," Sorensen said. "The cassowary is the only one we have -to watch out for."</p> - -<p>"Aren't anteaters dangerous?"</p> - -<p>"Only to ants."</p> - -<p>"The hell you say," Cable said. "Bill, the animals on this island have -gone crazy. Remember Eakins' mouse?"</p> - -<p>"I remember it," Sorensen said. They had reached the far edge of the -clearing. The beasts were in front of them, still advancing, with the -cassowary in the center. Behind them lay the jungle—and whatever they -were being herded toward.</p> - -<p>"We'll have to make a break for it," Sorensen said.</p> - -<p>"That damned bird is blocking the trail."</p> - -<p>"We'll have to knock him over," Sorensen said. "Watch out for his feet. -Let's go!"</p> - -<p>They raced toward the cassowary, swinging their spades. The cassowary -hesitated, unable to make up its mind between targets. Then it turned -toward Cable and its right leg lashed out. The partially deflected blow -sounded like the flat of a meat cleaver against a side of beef. Cable -grunted and collapsed, clutching his ribs.</p> - -<p>Sorensen stabbed, and the honed edge of his spade nearly severed the -cassowary's head from its body. The wild pig and the anteater were -coming at him now. He flailed with his spade, driving them back. Then, -with a strength he hadn't known he possessed, he stooped, lifted Cable -across his shoulders and ran down the path.</p> - -<p>A quarter of a mile down he had to stop, completely out of breath. -There were no sounds behind him. The other animals were apparently not -following. He went back to the wounded man.</p> - -<p>Cable had begun to recover consciousness. He was able to walk, -half-supported by Sorensen. When they reached the camp, Sorensen called -everybody in for a meeting. He counted heads while Eakins taped up -Cable's side. Only one man was missing.</p> - -<p>"Where's Drake?" Sorensen asked.</p> - -<p>"He's across the island at North Beach, fishing," said Tom Recetich. -"Want me to get him?"</p> - -<p>Sorensen hesitated. Finally he said, "No. I'd better explain what -we're up against. Then we'll issue the guns. <i>Then</i> we'll try to find -Drake."</p> - -<p>"Man, what's going on?" Recetich asked.</p> - -<p>Sorensen began to explain what had happened at Site 4.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Fishing provided an important part of the expedition's food and there -was no work Drake liked better. At first he had gone out with face -mask and spear gun. But the sharks in this corner of the world were -numerous, hungry and aggressive. So, regretfully, he had given up skin -diving and set out handlines on the leeward side of the island.</p> - -<p>The lines were out now, and Drake lay in the shade of a palm tree, -half asleep, his big forearms folded over his chest. His dog, Oro, was -prowling the beach in search of hermit crabs. Oro was a good-natured -mutt, part airdale, part terrier, part unknown. He was growling at -something now.</p> - -<p>"Leave the crabs alone," Drake called out. "You'll just get nipped -again."</p> - -<p>Oro was still growling. Drake rolled over and saw that the dog was -standing stiff-legged over a large insect. It looked like some kind of -scorpion.</p> - -<p>"Oro, leave that blasted—"</p> - -<p>Before Drake could move, the insect sprang. It landed on Oro's neck and -the jointed tail whipped out. Oro yelped once. Drake was on his feet -instantly. He swatted at the bug, but it jumped off the dog's neck and -scuttled into the brush.</p> - -<p>"Take it easy, old boy," Drake said. "That's a nasty-looking wound. -Might be poisoned. I better open it up."</p> - -<p>He held the panting dog firmly and drew his boat knife. He had operated -on the dog for snake bite in Central America, and in the Adirondacks -he had held him down and pulled porcupine quills out of his mouth with -a pair of pliers. The dog always knew he was being helped. He never -struggled.</p> - -<p>This time, the dog bit.</p> - -<p>"Oro!" Drake grabbed the dog at the jaw hinge with his free hand. He -brought pressure to bear, paralyzing the muscles, forcing the dog's -jaws open. He pulled his hand out and flung the dog away. Oro rolled to -his feet and advanced on him again.</p> - -<p>"Stand!" Drake shouted. The dog kept coming, edging around to get -between the ocean and the man.</p> - -<p>Turning, Drake saw the bug emerge from the jungle and creep toward him. -His dog had circled around and was trying to drive him toward the bug.</p> - -<p>Drake didn't know what was going on, and he decided he'd better not -stay to find out. He picked up his knife and threw it at the bug. He -missed. The bug was almost within jumping distance.</p> - -<p>Drake ran toward the ocean. When Oro tried to intercept him, he kicked -the dog out of the way and plunged into the water.</p> - -<p>He began to swim around the island to the camp, hoping he'd make it -before the sharks got him.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph4">III</p> - -<p>At the camp, rifles and revolvers were hastily wiped clean of cosmoline -and passed around. Binoculars were taken out and adjusted. Cartridges -were divided up, and the supply of knives, machetes and hatchets -quickly disappeared. The expedition's two walkie-talkies were unpacked, -and the men prepared to move out in search of Drake. Then they saw him, -swimming vigorously around the edge of the island.</p> - -<p>He waded ashore, tired but uninjured. He and the others put their -information together and reached some unhappy conclusions.</p> - -<p>"Do you mean to say," Cable demanded, "that a <i>bug</i> is doing all this?"</p> - -<p>"It looks that way," Sorensen said. "We have to assume that it's able -to exercise some kind of thought control. Maybe hypnotic or telepathic."</p> - -<p>"It has to sting first," Drake said. "That's what it did with Oro."</p> - -<p>"I just can't imagine a scorpion doing all that," Recetich said.</p> - -<p>"It's not a scorpion," Drake said. "I saw it close up. It's got a tail -like a scorpion, but its head is damn near four times as big, and its -body is different. Up close, it doesn't look like anything you ever saw -before."</p> - -<p>"Do you think it's native to this island?" asked Monty Byrnes, a -treasure-seeker from Indianapolis.</p> - -<p>"I doubt it," Drake said. "If it is, why did it leave us and the -animals alone for three months?"</p> - -<p>"That's right," Sorensen said. "All our troubles began just after the -schooner came. The schooner must have brought it from somewhere.... -Hey!"</p> - -<p>"What is it?" Drake asked.</p> - -<p>"Remember that scorpion the skipper tried to squash? It came out of the -detector crate. Do you think it could be the same one?"</p> - -<p>Drake shrugged his shoulders. "Could be. Seems to me our problem right -now isn't finding out where it came from. We have to figure out what to -do about it."</p> - -<p>"If it can control animals," Byrnes said, "I wonder if it can control -men."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>They were all silent. They had moved into a circle near the copra shed, -and while they talked they watched the jungle for any sign of insect or -animal life.</p> - -<p>Sorensen said, "We'd better radio for help."</p> - -<p>"If we do that," Recetich said, "somebody's going to find out about the -<i>Santa Teresa</i> treasure. We'll be overrun in no time."</p> - -<p>"Maybe so," Sorensen said. "But at the worst, we've cleared expenses. -We've even made a small profit."</p> - -<p>"And if we don't get help," Drake said, "we may be in no condition to -take anything out of here."</p> - -<p>"The problem isn't as bad as all that," Byrnes said. "We've got guns. -We can take care of the animals."</p> - -<p>"You haven't seen the bug yet," Drake said.</p> - -<p>"We'll squash it."</p> - -<p>"That won't be easy," Drake said. "It's faster than hell. And how are -you going to squash it if it comes into your hut some night while -you're asleep? We could post guards and they wouldn't even see the -thing."</p> - -<p>Brynes shuddered involuntarily. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Maybe we'd -better radio for help."</p> - -<p>Eakins stood up. "Well, gents," he said, "I guess that means me. I just -hope the batteries on the ketch are up to charge."</p> - -<p>"It'll be dangerous going out there," Drake said. "We'll draw lots."</p> - -<p>Eakins was amused. "We will? How many of you can operate a transmitter?"</p> - -<p>Drake said, "I can."</p> - -<p>"No offense meant," Eakins said, "but you don't operate that set of -yours worth a damn. You don't even know Morse for key transmission. And -can you fix the set if it goes out?"</p> - -<p>"No," Drake said. "But the whole thing is too risky. We all should go."</p> - -<p>Eakins shook his head. "Safest thing all around is if you cover me from -the beach. That bug probably hasn't thought about the ketch yet."</p> - -<p>Eakins stuck a tool kit in his pocket and strapped one of the camp's -walkie-talkies over his shoulder. He handed the other one to Sorensen. -He hurried down the beach past the launch and pushed the small dinghy -into the water. The men of the expedition spread out, their rifles -ready. Eakins got into the dinghy and started rowing across the quiet -lagoon.</p> - -<p>They saw him tie up to the ketch and pause a moment, looking around. -Then he climbed aboard. Quickly he slid back the hatch and went inside.</p> - -<p>"Everything all right?" Sorensen asked.</p> - -<p>"No trouble yet," Eakins said, his voice sounding thin and sharp over -the walkie-talkie. "I'm at the transmitter now, turning it on. It needs -a couple of minutes to warm up."</p> - -<p>Drake nudged Sorensen. "Look over there."</p> - -<p>On the reef, almost hidden by the ketch, something was moving. Using -binoculars, Sorensen could see three big gray rats slipping into the -water. They began swimming toward the ketch.</p> - -<p>"Start firing!" Sorensen said. "Eakins, get out of there!"</p> - -<p>"I've got the transmitter going," Eakins said. "I just need a couple of -minutes more to get a message off."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Bullets sent up white splashes around the swimming rats. One was hit; -the other two managed to put the ketch between them and the riflemen. -Studying the reef with his binoculars, Sorensen saw an anteater cross -the reef and splash into the water. It was followed by a wild pig.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus2.jpg" width="358" height="500" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>There was a crackle of static from the walkie-talkie. Sorensen called, -"Eakins, have you got that message off?"</p> - -<p>"Haven't sent it," Eakins called back. "Listen, Bill. We <i>mustn't</i> send -any messages! That bug wants—" He stopped abruptly.</p> - -<p>"What is it?" Sorensen asked. "What's happening?"</p> - -<p>Eakins had appeared on deck, still holding the walkie-talkie. He was -backing toward the stern.</p> - -<p>"Hermit crabs," he said. "They climbed up the anchor line. I'm going to -swim to shore."</p> - -<p>"Don't do it," Sorensen said.</p> - -<p>"Gotta do it," Eakins said. "They'll probably follow me. All of you -come out here and <i>get that transmitter</i>. Bring it ashore."</p> - -<p>Through his binoculars, Sorensen could see a solid gray carpet of -hermit crabs crawling down the deck and waterways of the ketch. Eakins -jumped into the water. He swam furiously toward shore, and Sorensen saw -the rats turn and follow him. Hermit crabs swarmed off the boat, and -the wild pig and the anteater paddled after him, trying to head him off -before he reached the beach.</p> - -<p>"Come on," Sorensen said. "I don't know what Eakins figured out, but we -better get that transmitter while we have a chance."</p> - -<p>They ran down the beach and put the launch into the water. Two hundred -yards away, Eakins had reached the far edge of the beach with the -animals in close pursuit. He broke into the jungle, still clinging to -his walkie-talkie.</p> - -<p>"Eakins?" Sorensen asked into the walkie-talkie.</p> - -<p>"I'm all right," Eakins said, panting hard for air. "Get that -transmitter, and don't forget the batteries!"</p> - -<p>The men boarded the ketch. Working furiously, they ripped the -transmitter off its bulkhead and dragged it up the companionway steps. -Drake came last, carrying a twelve-volt battery. He went down again and -brought up a second battery. He hesitated a moment, then went below for -a third time.</p> - -<p>"Drake!" Sorensen shouted. "Quit holding us up!"</p> - -<p>Drake reappeared, carrying the ketch's two radio direction finders and -the compass. He handed them down and jumped into the launch.</p> - -<p>"OK," he said. "Let's go."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>They rowed to the beach. Sorensen was trying to re-establish contact -with Eakins on the walkie-talkie, but all he could hear was static. -Then, as the launch grounded on the beach, he heard Eakins' voice.</p> - -<p>"I'm surrounded," he said, very quietly. "I guess I'll have to see what -Mr. Bug wants. Maybe I can swat him first, though."</p> - -<p>There was a long silence. Then Eakins said, "It's coming toward me now. -Drake was right. It sure isn't like any bug <i>I've</i> ever seen. I'm going -to swat hell out of—"</p> - -<p>They heard him scream, more in surprise than pain.</p> - -<p>Sorensen said, "Eakins, can you hear me? Where are you? Can we help?"</p> - -<p>"It sure <i>is</i> fast," Eakins said, his voice conversational again. -"Fastest damned bug I've ever seen. Jumped on my neck, stung me and -jumped off again."</p> - -<p>"How do you feel?" Sorensen asked.</p> - -<p>"Fine," Eakins said. "Hardly felt the sting."</p> - -<p>"Where is the bug now?"</p> - -<p>"Back in the bush."</p> - -<p>"The animals?"</p> - -<p>"They went away. You know," Eakins said, "maybe this thing doesn't -work on humans. Maybe—"</p> - -<p>"What?" Sorensen asked. "What's happening now?"</p> - -<p>There was a long silence. Then Eakins' voice, low-pitched and calm, -came over the walkie-talkie.</p> - -<p>"We'll speak with you again later," Eakins said. "We must take -consultation now and decide what to do with you."</p> - -<p>"<i>Eakins!</i>"</p> - -<p>There was no answer from the other end of the walkie-talkie.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph4">IV</p> - -<p>Returning to their camp, the men were in a mood of thorough depression. -They couldn't understand what had happened to Eakins and they didn't -feel like speculating on it. The ravaging afternoon sun beat down, -reflecting heat back from the white sand. The damp jungle steamed, and -appeared to creep toward them like a huge and sleepy green dragon, -trapping them against the indifferent sea. Gun barrels grew too hot to -touch, and the water in the canteens was as warm as blood. Overhead, -thick gray cumulus clouds began to pile up; it was the beginning of the -monsoon season.</p> - -<p>Drake sat in the shade of the copra shed. He shook off his lethargy -long enough to inspect the camp from the viewpoint of defense. He saw -the encircling jungle as enemy territory. In front of it was an area -fifty yards deep which they had cleared. This no man's land could -perhaps be defended for a while.</p> - -<p>Then came the huts and the copra shed, their last line of defense, -leading to the beach and the sea.</p> - -<p>The expedition had been in complete control of this island for better -than three months. Now they were pinned to a small and precarious -beachhead.</p> - -<p>Drake glanced at the lagoon behind him and remembered that there was -still one line of retreat open. If the bug and his damned menagerie -pressed too hard, they could still escape in the ketch. With luck.</p> - -<p>Sorensen came over and sat down beside him. "What are you doing?" he -asked.</p> - -<p>Drake grinned sourly. "Planning our master strategy."</p> - -<p>"How does it look?"</p> - -<p>"I think we can hold out," Drake said. "We've got plenty of ammo. If -necessary, we'll interdict the cleared area with gasoline. We certainly -aren't going to let that bug push us off the island." He thought for a -moment. "But it's going to be damned hard digging for treasure."</p> - -<p>Sorensen nodded. "I wonder what the bug wants."</p> - -<p>"Maybe we'll find out from Eakins," Drake said.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>They had to wait half an hour. Then Eakins' voice came, sharp and -shrill over the walkie-talkie.</p> - -<p>"Sorensen? Drake?"</p> - -<p>"We're here," Drake said. "What did that damned bug do to you?"</p> - -<p>"Nothing," Eakins said. "You are talking to that bug now. My name is -the Quedak."</p> - -<p>"My God," Drake said to Sorensen, "that bug must have hypnotized him!"</p> - -<p>"No. You are not speaking to a hypnotized Eakins. Nor are you speaking -to a creature who is simply using Eakins as a mouthpiece. Nor are you -speaking to the Eakins who was. You are speaking to many individuals -who are one."</p> - -<p>"I don't get that," Drake said.</p> - -<p>"It's very simple," Eakins' voice replied. "I am the Quedak, the -totality. But my totality is made up of separate parts, which -are Eakins, several rats, a dog named Oro, a pig, an anteater, a -cassowary—"</p> - -<p>"Hold on," Sorensen said. "Let me get this straight. This is <i>not</i> -Eakins I'm speaking to. This is the—the Quedak?"</p> - -<p>"That is correct."</p> - -<p>"And you control Eakins and the others? You speak through Eakins' -mouth?"</p> - -<p>"Also correct. But that doesn't mean that the personalities of -the others are obliterated. Quite the contrary, the Quedak state -is a federation in which the various member parts retain their -idiosyncrasies, their individual needs and desires. They give their -knowledge, their power, their special outlook to the Quedak whole. The -Quedak is the coordinating and command center; but the individual parts -supply the knowledge, the insights, the special skills. And together we -form the Great Cooperation."</p> - -<p>"Cooperation?" Drake said. "But you did all this by force!"</p> - -<p>"It was necessary in the beginning. Otherwise, how would other -creatures have known about the Great Cooperation?"</p> - -<p>"Would they stay if you released your control over them?" Drake asked.</p> - -<p>"That is a meaningless question. We form a single indivisible entity -now. Would your arm return to you if you cut it off?"</p> - -<p>"It isn't the same thing."</p> - -<p>"It is," Eakins' voice said. "We are a single organism. We are still -growing. And we welcome you wholeheartedly into the Great Cooperation."</p> - -<p>"To hell with that," Drake said.</p> - -<p>"But you must join," the Quedak told them. "It is the Quedak Mission to -coordinate all sentient creatures into a single collective organism. -Believe me, there is only the most trifling loss of the individuality -you prize so highly. And you gain so much more! You learn the -viewpoints and special knowledge of all other creatures. Within the -Quedak framework you can fully realize your potentialities—"</p> - -<p>"No!"</p> - -<p>"I am sorry," the Quedak said. "The Quedak Mission must be fulfilled. -You will not join us willingly?"</p> - -<p>"Never," Drake said.</p> - -<p>"Then <i>we</i> will join <i>you</i>," the Quedak said.</p> - -<p>There was a click as he turned off the walkie-talkie.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>From the fringe of the jungle, several rats appeared. They hesitated, -just out of rifle range. A bird of paradise flew overhead, hovering -over the cleared area like an observation plane. As the men watched, -the rats began to run forward in long zigzags.</p> - -<p>"Start firing," Drake called out. "But go easy with the ammo."</p> - -<p>The men began to fire. But it was difficult to sight on the -quick-moving rats against the grayish-brown clearing. And almost -immediately, the rats were joined by a dozen hermit crabs. They had -an uncanny knack for moving when no one was watching them, darting -forward, then freezing against the neutral background.</p> - -<p>They saw Eakins appear on the fringe of the jungle.</p> - -<p>"Lousy traitor," Cable said, raising his rifle.</p> - -<p>Sorensen slapped the muzzle of the rifle aside. "Don't do it."</p> - -<p>"But he's helping that bug!"</p> - -<p>"He can't help it," Sorensen said. "And he's not armed. Leave him -alone."</p> - -<p>Eakins watched for a few moments, then melted back into the jungle.</p> - -<p>The attack by the rats and crabs swept across half of the cleared -space. Then, as they came closer, the men were able to pick their -targets with more accuracy. Nothing was able to get closer than twenty -yards. And when Recetich shot down the bird of paradise, the attack -began to falter.</p> - -<p>"You know," Drake said, "I think we're going to be all right."</p> - -<p>"Could be," said Sorensen. "I don't understand what the Quedak is -trying to accomplish. He knows we can't be taken like this. I should -think—"</p> - -<p>"Hey!" one of the men called out. "Our boat!"</p> - -<p>They turned and saw why the Quedak had ordered the attack. While it -had occupied their attention, Drake's dog had swum out to the ketch -and gnawed through the anchor line. Unattended, the ketch was drifting -before the wind, moving toward the reef. They saw it bump gently, then -harder. In a moment it was heeled hard over, stuck in the coral.</p> - -<p>There was a burst of static from the walkie-talkie. Sorensen held it -up and heard the Quedak say, "The ketch isn't seriously damaged. It's -simply immobilized."</p> - -<p>"The hell you say," Drake growled. "For all you know, it's got a hole -punched right through it. How do you plan on getting off the island, -Quedak? Or are you just going to stay here?"</p> - -<p>"I will leave at the proper time," the Quedak said. "I want to make -sure that we all leave together."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph4">V</p> - -<p>The wind died. Huge gray thunderheads piled up in the sky to the -southeast, their tops lost in the upper atmosphere, their black anvil -bottoms pressing the hot still air upon the island. The sun had lost -its fiery glare. Cherry-red, it slid listlessly toward the flat sea.</p> - -<p>High overhead, a single bird of paradise circled, just out of rifle -range. It had gone up ten minutes after Recetich had shot the first one -down.</p> - -<p>Monty Byrnes stood on the edge of the cleared area, his rifle ready. -He had drawn the first guard shift. The rest of the men were eating a -hasty dinner inside the copra shed. Sorensen and Drake were outside, -looking over the situation.</p> - -<p>Drake said, "By nightfall we'll have to pull everybody back into the -shed. Can't take a chance on being exposed to the Quedak in the dark."</p> - -<p>Sorensen nodded. He seemed to have aged ten years in a day's time.</p> - -<p>"In the morning," Drake said, "we'll be able to work something out -We'll.... What's wrong, Bill?"</p> - -<p>"Do you really think we have a chance?" Sorensen asked.</p> - -<p>"Sure we do. We've got a damned good chance."</p> - -<p>"Be realistic," Sorensen said. "The longer this goes on, the more -animals the Quedak can throw against us. What can we do about it?"</p> - -<p>"Hunt him out and kill him."</p> - -<p>"The damned thing is about the size of your thumb," Sorensen said -irritably. "How can we hunt him?"</p> - -<p>"We'll figure out something," Drake said. He was beginning to get -worried about Sorensen. The morale among the men was low enough without -Sorensen pushing it down further.</p> - -<p>"I wish someone would shoot that damned bird," Sorensen said, glancing -overhead.</p> - -<p>About every fifteen minutes, the bird of paradise came darting down for -a closer look at the camp. Then, before the guard had a chance to fire, -he swept back up to a safe altitude.</p> - -<p>"It's getting on my nerves, too," Drake said. "Maybe that's what it's -supposed to do. One of these times we'll—"</p> - -<p>He stopped abruptly. From the copra shed he could hear the loud hum of -a radio. And he heard Al Cable saying, "Hello, hello, this is Vuanu -calling. We need help."</p> - -<p>Drake and Sorensen went into the shed. Cable was sitting in front of -the transmitter, saying into the microphone, "Emergency, emergency, -Vuanu calling, we need—"</p> - -<p>"What in hell do you think you're doing?" Drake snapped.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Cable turned and looked at him, his pudgy pink body streaked with -sweat. "I'm radioing for help, that's what I'm doing. I think I've -picked up somebody. But they haven't answered me yet."</p> - -<p>He readjusted the tuning. Over the receiver, they could hear a bored -British voice saying, "Pawn to Queen four, eh? Why don't you ever try a -different opening?"</p> - -<p>There was a sharp burst of static. "Just move," a deep bass voice -answered. "Just shut up and move."</p> - -<p>"Sure," said the British voice. "Knight to king bishop three."</p> - -<p>Drake recognized the voices. They were ham radio operators. One of -them owned a plantation on Bougainville; the other was a shopkeeper in -Rabaul. They came on the air for an hour of chess and argument every -evening.</p> - -<p>Cable tapped the microphone impatiently. "Hello," he said, "this is -Vuanu calling, emergency call—"</p> - -<p>Drake walked over and took the microphone out of Cable's hand. He put -it down carefully.</p> - -<p>"We can't call for help," he said.</p> - -<p>"What are you talking about?" Cable cried. "We have to!"</p> - -<p>Drake felt very tired. "Look, if we send out a distress call, -somebody's going to come sailing right in—but they won't be prepared -for this kind of trouble. The Quedak will take them over and then use -them against us."</p> - -<p>"We can explain what the trouble is," Cable said.</p> - -<p>"<i>Explain?</i> Explain <i>what</i>? That a bug is taking over the island? -They'd think we were crazy with fever. They'd send in a doctor on the -inter-island schooner."</p> - -<p>"Dan's right," Sorensen said. "Nobody would believe this without seeing -it for himself."</p> - -<p>"And by then," Drake said, "it'd be too late. Eakins figured it out -before the Quedak got him. That's why he told us not to send any -messages."</p> - -<p>Cable looked dubious. "But why did he want us to take the transmitter?"</p> - -<p>"So that <i>he</i> couldn't send any messages after the bug got him," Drake -said. "The more people trampling around, the easier it would be for the -Quedak. If he had possession of the transmitter, he'd be calling for -help right now."</p> - -<p>"Yeah, I suppose so," Cable said unhappily. "But, damn it, we can't -handle this <i>alone</i>."</p> - -<p>"We have to. If the Quedak ever gets us and then gets off the island, -that's it for Earth. Period. There won't be any big war, no hydrogen -bombs or fallout, no heroic little resistance groups. Everybody will -become part of the Quedak Cooperation."</p> - -<p>"We ought to get help somehow," Cable said stubbornly. "We're alone, -isolated. Suppose we ask for a ship to stand offshore—"</p> - -<p>"It won't work," Drake said. "Besides, we couldn't ask for help even if -we wanted to."</p> - -<p>"Why not?"</p> - -<p>"Because the transmitter's not working," Drake said. "You've been -talking into a dead mike."</p> - -<p>"It's receiving OK," Cable said.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Drake checked to see if all the switches were on. "Nothing wrong with -the receiver. But we must have joggled something taking the transmitter -out of the ship. It isn't working."</p> - -<p>Cable tapped the dead microphone several times, then put it down. They -stood around the receiver, listening to the chess game between the man -in Rabaul and the man in Bougainville.</p> - -<p>"Pawn to queen bishop four."</p> - -<p>"Pawn to king three."</p> - -<p>"Knight to Queen bishop three."</p> - -<p>There was a sudden staccato burst of static. It faded, then came again -in three distinct bursts.</p> - -<p>"What do you suppose that is?" Sorensen asked.</p> - -<p>Drake shrugged his shoulders. "Could be anything. Storm's shaping up -and—"</p> - -<p>He stopped. He had been standing beside the door of the shed. As the -static crackled, he saw the bird of paradise dive for a closer look. -The static stopped when the bird returned to its slow-circling higher -altitude.</p> - -<p>"That's strange," Drake said. "Did you see that, Bill? The bird came -down and the static went on at the same time."</p> - -<p>"I saw it," Sorensen said. "Think it means anything?"</p> - -<p>"I don't know. Let's see." Drake took out his field glasses. He turned -up the volume of the receiver and stepped outside where he could -observe the jungle. He waited, hearing the sounds of the chess game -three or four hundred miles away.</p> - -<p>"Come on now, move."</p> - -<p>"Give me a minute."</p> - -<p>"A minute? Listen, I can't stand in front of this bleeding set all -night. Make your—"</p> - -<p>Static crackled sharply. Drake saw four wild pigs come trotting out of -the jungle, moving slowly, like a reconnaissance squad probing for weak -spots in an enemy position. They stopped; the static stopped. Byrnes, -standing guard with his rifle, took a snap shot at them. The pigs -turned, and static crackled as they moved back into the jungle. There -was more static as the bird of paradise swept down for a look, then -climbed out of range. After that, the static stopped.</p> - -<p>Drake put down his binoculars and went back inside the shed. "That must -be it," he said. "The static is related to the Quedak. I think it comes -when he's operating the animals."</p> - -<p>"You mean he has come sort of radio control over them?" Sorensen asked.</p> - -<p>"Seems like it," Drake said. "Either radio control or something -propagated along a radio wavelength."</p> - -<p>"If that's the case," Sorensen said, "he's like a little radio station, -isn't he?"</p> - -<p>"Sure he is. So what?"</p> - -<p>"Then we should be able to locate him on a radio direction finder," -Sorensen said.</p> - -<p>Drake nodded emphatically. He snapped off the receiver, went to a -corner of the shed and took out one of their portable direction -finders. He set it to the frequency at which Cable had picked up the -Rabaul-Bougainville broadcast. Then he turned it on and walked to the -door.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The men watched while Drake rotated the loop antenna. He located the -maximum signal, then turned the loop slowly, read the bearing and -converted it to a compass course. Then he sat down with a small-scale -chart of the Southwest Pacific.</p> - -<p>"Well," Sorensen asked, "is it the Quedak?"</p> - -<p>"It's got to be," said Drake. "I located a good null almost due south. -That's straight ahead in the jungle."</p> - -<p>"You're sure it isn't a reciprocal bearing?"</p> - -<p>"I checked that out."</p> - -<p>"Is there any chance the signal comes from some other station?"</p> - -<p>"Nope. Due south, the next station is Sydney, and that's seventeen -hundred miles away. Much too far for this RDF. It's the Quedak, all -right."</p> - -<p>"So we have a way of locating him," Sorensen said. "Two men with -direction finders can go into the jungle—"</p> - -<p>"—and get themselves killed," Drake said. "We can position the Quedak -with RDFs, but his animals can locate us a lot faster. We wouldn't have -a chance in the jungle."</p> - -<p>Sorensen looked crestfallen. "Then we're no better off than before."</p> - -<p>"We're a lot better off," Drake said. "We have a chance now."</p> - -<p>"What makes you think so?"</p> - -<p>"He controls the animals by radio," Drake said. "We know the frequency -he operates on. We can broadcast on the same frequency. We can jam his -signal."</p> - -<p>"Are you sure about that?"</p> - -<p>"Am I <i>sure</i>? Of course not. But I do know that two stations in the -same area can't broadcast over the same frequency. If we tuned in -to the frequency the Quedak uses, made enough noise to override his -signal—"</p> - -<p>"I see," Sorensen said. "Maybe it would work! If we could interfere -with his signal, he wouldn't be able to control the animals. And then -we could hunt him down with the RDFs."</p> - -<p>"That's the idea," Drake said. "It has only one small flaw—our -transmitter isn't working. With no transmitter, we can't do any -broadcasting. No broadcasting, no jamming."</p> - -<p>"Can you fix it?" Sorensen asked.</p> - -<p>"I'll try," Drake said. "But we'd better not hope for too much. Eakins -was the radio man on this expedition."</p> - -<p>"We've got all the spare parts," Sorensen said. "Tubes, manual, -everything."</p> - -<p>"I know. Give me enough time and I'll figure out what's wrong. The -question is, how much time is the Quedak going to give us?"</p> - -<p>The bright copper disk of the sun was half submerged in the sea. Sunset -colors touched the massing thunderheads and faded into the brief -tropical twilight. The men began to barricade the copra shed for the -night.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph4">VI</p> - -<p>Drake removed the back from the transmitter and scowled at the compact -mass of tubes and wiring. Those metal boxlike things were probably -condensers, and the waxy cylindrical gadgets might or might not be -resistors. It all looked hopelessly complicated, ridiculously dense and -delicate. Where should he begin?</p> - -<p>He turned on the set and waited a few minutes. All the tubes appeared -to go on, some dim, some bright. He couldn't detect any loose wires. -The mike was still dead.</p> - -<p>So much for visual inspection. Next question: was the set getting -enough juice?</p> - -<p>He turned it off and checked the battery cells with a voltmeter. The -batteries were up to charge. He removed the leads, scraped them and put -them back on, making sure they fit snugly. He checked all connections, -murmured a propitiatory prayer, and turned the set on.</p> - -<p>It still didn't work.</p> - -<p>Cursing, he turned it off again. He decided to replace all the tubes, -starting with the dim ones. If that didn't work, he could try replacing -condensers and resistors. If that didn't work, he could always shoot -himself. With this cheerful thought, he opened the parts kit and went -to work.</p> - -<p>The men were all inside the copra shed, finishing the job of -barricading it for the night. The door was wedged shut and locked. The -two windows had to be kept open for ventilation; otherwise everyone -would suffocate in the heat. But a double layer of heavy mosquito -netting was nailed over each window, and a guard was posted beside it.</p> - -<p>Nothing could get through the flat galvanized-iron roof. The floor was -of pounded earth, a possible danger point. All they could do was keep -watch over it.</p> - -<p>The treasure-hunters settled down for a long night. Drake, with a -handkerchief tied around his forehead to keep the perspiration out of -his eyes, continued working on the transmitter.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>An hour later, there was a buzz on the walkie-talkie. Sorensen picked -it up and said, "What do you want?"</p> - -<p>"I want you to end this senseless resistance," said the Quedak, -speaking with Eakins' voice. "You've had enough time to think over the -situation. I want you to join me. Surely you can see there's no other -way."</p> - -<p>"We don't want to join you," Sorensen said.</p> - -<p>"You must," the Quedak told him.</p> - -<p>"Are you going to make us?"</p> - -<p>"That poses problems," the Quedak said. "My animal parts are not -suitable for coercion. Eakins is an excellent mechanism, but there is -only one of him. And I must not expose myself to unnecessary danger. -By doing so I would endanger the Quedak Mission."</p> - -<p>"So it's a stalemate," Sorensen said.</p> - -<p>"No. I am faced with difficulty only in taking you over. There is no -problem in killing you."</p> - -<p>The men shifted uneasily. Drake, working on the transmitter, didn't -look up.</p> - -<p>"I would rather <i>not</i> kill you," the Quedak said. "But the Quedak -Mission is of primary importance. It would be endangered if you didn't -join. It would be seriously compromised if you left the island. So you -must either join or be killed."</p> - -<p>"That's not the way I see it," Sorensen said. "If you killed -us—assuming that you can—you'd never get off this island. Eakins -can't handle that ketch."</p> - -<p>"There would be no need to leave in the ketch," the Quedak said. "In -six months, the inter-island schooner will return. Eakins and I will -leave then. The rest of you will have died."</p> - -<p>"You're bluffing," Sorensen said. "What makes you think you could kill -us? You didn't do so well today." He caught Drake's attention and -gestured at the radio. Drake shrugged his shoulders and went back to -work.</p> - -<p>"I wasn't trying," the Quedak said. "The time for that was at night. -<i>This</i> night, before you have a chance to work out a better system of -defense. You must join me tonight or I will kill one of you."</p> - -<p>"One of us?"</p> - -<p>"Yes. One man an hour. In that way, perhaps the survivors will change -their minds about joining. But if they don't, all of you will be dead -by morning."</p> - -<p>Drake leaned over and whispered to Sorensen, "Stall him. Give me -another ten minutes. I think I've found the trouble."</p> - -<p>Sorensen said into the walkie-talkie, "We'd like to know a little more -about the Quedak Cooperation."</p> - -<p>"You can find out best by joining."</p> - -<p>"We'd rather have a little more information on it first."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>"It is an indescribable state," the Quedak said in an urgent, -earnest, eager voice. "Can you imagine yourself as <i>yourself</i> and yet -experiencing an entirely new series of sensory networks? You would, for -example, experience the world through the perceptors of a dog as he -goes through the forest following an odor which to him—and to you—is -as clear and vivid as a painted line. A hermit crab senses things -differently. From him you experience the slow interaction of life at -the margin of sea and land. His time-sense is very slow, unlike that -of a bird of paradise, whose viewpoint is spatial, rapid, cursory. -And there are many others, above and below the earth and water, who -furnish their own specialized viewpoints of reality. Their outlooks, -I have found, are not essentially different from those of the animals -that once inhabited Mars."</p> - -<p>"What happened on Mars?" Sorensen asked.</p> - -<p>"All life died," the Quedak mourned. "All except the Quedak. It -happened a long time ago. For centuries there was peace and prosperity -on the planet. Everything and everyone was part of the Quedak -Cooperation. But the dominant race was basically weak. Their breeding -rate went down; catastrophes happened. And finally there was no more -life except the Quedak."</p> - -<p>"Sounds great," Sorensen said ironically.</p> - -<p>"It was the fault of the race," the Quedak protested. "With sturdier -stock—such as you have on this planet—the will to live will remain -intact. The peace and prosperity will continue indefinitely."</p> - -<p>"I don't believe it. What happened on Mars will happen again on Earth -if you take over. After a while, slaves just don't care very strongly -about living."</p> - -<p>"You wouldn't be slaves. You would be functional parts of the Quedak -Cooperation."</p> - -<p>"Which would be run by you," Sorensen said. "Any way you slice it, -it's the same old pie."</p> - -<p>"You don't know what you're talking about," the Quedak said. "We have -talked long enough. I am prepared to kill one man in the next five -minutes. Are you or are you not going to join me?" Sorensen looked at -Drake. Drake turned on the transmitter.</p> - -<p>Gusts of rain splattered on the roof while the transmitter warmed up. -Drake lifted the microphone and tapped it, and was able to hear the -sound in the speaker.</p> - -<p>"It's working," he said.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>At that moment something flew against the netting-covered window. The -netting sagged; a fruit bat was entangled in it, glaring at them with -tiny red-rimmed eyes.</p> - -<p>"Get some boards over that window!" Sorensen shouted.</p> - -<p>As he spoke, a second bat hurtled into the netting, broke through it -and tumbled to the floor. The men clubbed it to death, but four more -bats flew in through the open window. Drake flailed at them, but he -couldn't drive them away from the transmitter. They were diving at his -eyes, and he was forced back. A wild blow caught one bat and knocked -it to the floor with a broken wing. Then the others had reached the -transmitter.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus3.jpg" width="600" height="269" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>They pushed it off the table. Drake tried to catch the set, and failed. -He heard the glass tubes shattering, but by then he was busy protecting -his eyes.</p> - -<p>In a few minutes they had killed two more bats, and the others had fled -out the window. The men nailed boards over both windows, and Drake bent -to examine the transmitter.</p> - -<p>"Any chance of fixing it?" Sorensen asked.</p> - -<p>"Not a hope," Drake said. "They ripped out the wiring while they were -at it."</p> - -<p>"What do we do now?"</p> - -<p>"I don't know."</p> - -<p>Then the Quedak spoke to them over the walkie-talkie. "I must have your -answer right now."</p> - -<p>Nobody said a word.</p> - -<p>"In that case," the Quedak said, "I'm deeply sorry that one of you must -die now."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph4">VII</p> - -<p>Rain pelted the iron roof and the gusts of wind increased in intensity. -There were rumbles of distant thunder. But within the copra shed, the -air was hot and still. The gasoline lantern hanging from the center -beam threw a harsh yellow light that illuminated the center of the -room but left the corners in deep shadow. The treasure-hunters had -moved away from the walls. They were all in the center of the room -facing outward, and they made Drake think of a herd of buffalo drawn up -against a wolf they could smell but could not see.</p> - -<p>Cable said, "Listen, maybe we should try this Quedak Cooperation. Maybe -it isn't so bad as—"</p> - -<p>"Shut up," Drake said.</p> - -<p>"Be reasonable," Cable argued. "It's better than dying, isn't it?"</p> - -<p>"No one's dying yet," Drake said. "Just shut up and keep your eyes -open."</p> - -<p>"I think I'm going to be sick," Cable said. "Dan, let me out."</p> - -<p>"Be sick where you are," Drake said. "Just keep your eyes open."</p> - -<p>"You can't give me orders," Cable said. He started toward the door. -Then he jumped back.</p> - -<p>A yellowish scorpion had crept under the inch of clearance between the -door and the floor. Recetich stamped on it, smashing it to pulp under -his heavy boots. Then he whirled, swinging at three hornets which had -come at him through the boarded windows.</p> - -<p>"Forget the hornets!" Drake shouted. "Keep watching the ground!"</p> - -<p>There was movement on the floor. Several hairy spiders crawled out of -the shadows. Drake and Recetich beat at them with rifle butts. Byrnes -saw something crawling under the door. It looked like some kind of huge -flat centipede. He stamped at it, missed, and the centipede was on his -boot, past it, on the flesh of his leg. He screamed; it felt like a -ribbon of molten metal. He was able to smash it flat before he passed -out.</p> - -<p>Drake checked the wound and decided it was not fatal. He stamped on -another spider, then felt Sorensen's hand clutching his shoulder. He -looked toward the corner Sorensen was pointing at.</p> - -<p>Sliding toward them were two large, dark-coated snakes. Drake -recognized them as black adders. These normally shy creatures were -coming forward like tigers.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The men panicked, trying to get away from the snakes. Drake pulled out -his revolver and dropped to one knee, ignoring the hornets that buzzed -around him, trying to draw a bead on the slender serpentine targets in -the swaying yellow light.</p> - -<p>Thunder roared directly overhead. A long flash of lightning suddenly -flooded the room, spoiling his aim. Drake fired and missed, and waited -for the snakes to strike.</p> - -<p>They didn't strike. They were moving away from him, retreating to the -rat hole from which they had emerged. One of the adders slid quickly -through. The other began to follow, then stopped, half in the hole.</p> - -<p>Sorensen took careful aim with a rifle. Drake pushed the muzzle aside. -"Wait just a moment."</p> - -<p>The adder hesitated. It came out of the hole and began to move toward -them again....</p> - -<p>And there was another crash of thunder and a vivid splash of lightning. -The snake turned away and squirmed through the hole.</p> - -<p>"What's going on?" Sorensen asked. "Is the thunder frightening them?"</p> - -<p>"No, it's the lightning!" Drake said. "That's why the Quedak was in -such a rush. He saw that a storm was coming, and he hadn't consolidated -his position yet."</p> - -<p>"What are you talking about?"</p> - -<p>"The lightning," Drake said.</p> - -<p>"The electrical storm! It's jamming that radio control of his! And when -he's jammed, the beasts revert to normal behavior. It takes him time to -re-establish control."</p> - -<p>"The storm won't last forever," Cable said.</p> - -<p>"But maybe it'll last long enough," Drake said. He picked up the -direction finders and handed one to Sorensen. "Come on, Bill. We'll -hunt out that bug right now."</p> - -<p>"Hey," Recetich said, "isn't there something I can do?"</p> - -<p>"You can start swimming if we don't come back in an hour," Drake said.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>In slanting lines the rain drove down, pushed by the wild southwest -wind. Thunder rolled continually and each flash of lightning seemed -aimed at them. Drake and Sorensen reached the edge of the jungle and -stopped.</p> - -<p>"We'll separate here," Drake said. "Gives us a better chance of -converging on him."</p> - -<p>"Right," Sorensen said. "Take care of yourself, Dan."</p> - -<p>Sorensen plunged into the jungle. Drake trotted fifty yards down the -fringe and then entered the bush.</p> - -<p>He pushed forward, the revolver in his belt, the radio direction -finder in one hand, a flashlight in the other. The jungle seemed to -be animated by a vicious life of its own, almost as if the Quedak -controlled it. Vines curled cunningly around his ankles and the bushes -reached out thorny hands toward him. Every branch took a special -delight in slapping his face.</p> - -<p>Each time the lightning flashed, Drake's direction finder tried to -home on it. He was having a difficult time staying on course. But, -he reminded himself, the Quedak was undoubtedly having an even more -difficult time. Between flashes, he was able to set a course. The -further he penetrated into the jungle, the stronger the signal became.</p> - -<p>After a while he noticed that the flashes of lightning were spaced -more widely apart. The storm was moving on toward the north, leaving -the island behind. How much longer would he have the protection of the -lightning? Another ten or fifteen minutes?</p> - -<p>He heard something whimper. He swung his flashlight around and saw his -dog, Oro, coming toward him.</p> - -<p>His dog—or the Quedak's dog?</p> - -<p>"Hey there, boy," Drake said. He wondered if he should drop the -direction finder and get the revolver out of his belt. He wondered if -the revolver would still work after such a thorough soaking.</p> - -<p>Oro came up and licked his hand. He was Drake's dog, at least for the -duration of the storm.</p> - -<p>They moved on together, and the thunder rumbled distantly in the north. -The signal on his RDF was very strong now. Somewhere around here....</p> - -<p>He saw light from another flashlight. Sorensen, badly out of breath, -had joined him. The jungle had ripped and clawed at him, but he still -had his rifle, flashlight and direction finder.</p> - -<p>Oro was scratching furiously at a bush. There was a long flash of -lightning, and in it they saw the Quedak.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Drake realized, in those final moments, that the rain had stopped. The -lightning had stopped, too. He dropped the direction finder. With the -flashlight in one hand and his revolver in the other, he tried to take -aim at the Quedak, who was moving, who had jumped—</p> - -<p>To Sorensen's neck, just above the right collarbone.</p> - -<p>Sorensen raised his hands, then lowered them again. He turned toward -Drake, raising his rifle. His face was perfectly calm. He looked as -though his only purpose in life was to kill Drake.</p> - -<p>Drake fired from less than two feet away. Sorensen spun with the -impact, dropped his rifle and fell.</p> - -<p>Drake bent over him, his revolver ready. He saw that he had fired -accurately. The bullet had gone in just above the right collarbone. It -was a bad wound. But it had been much worse for the Quedak, who had -been in the direct path of the bullet. All that was left of the Quedak -was a splatter of black across Sorensen's chest.</p> - -<p>Drake applied hasty first aid and hoisted Sorensen to his shoulders. He -wondered what he would have done if the Quedak had been standing above -Sorensen's heart, or on his throat, or on his head.</p> - -<p>He decided it was better not to think about that.</p> - -<p>He started back to camp, with his dog trotting along beside him.</p> - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Meeting of the Minds, by Robert Sheckley - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MEETING OF THE MINDS *** - -***** This file should be named 51833-h.htm or 51833-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/1/8/3/51833/ - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law 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. 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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. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Meeting of the Minds - -Author: Robert Sheckley - -Release Date: April 22, 2016 [EBook #51833] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MEETING OF THE MINDS *** - - - - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - - Meeting of the Minds - - By ROBERT SHECKLEY - - Illustrated by DICK FRANCIS - - [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from - Galaxy Magazine February 1960. - Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that - the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] - - - - - What mission had the Quedak been given? - Even he couldn't remember any more--but - he refused to die till it was completed! - - -PART ONE - -The Quedak lay on a small hilltop and watched a slender jet of light -descend through the sky. The feather-tailed jet was golden, and -brighter than the sun. Poised above it was a glistening metallic -object, fabricated rather than natural, hauntingly familiar. The Quedak -tried to think what it was. - -He couldn't remember. His memories had atrophied with his functions, -leaving only scattered fragments of images. He searched among them now, -leafing through his brief scraps of ruined cities, dying populations, a -blue-water-filled canal, two moons, a spaceship.... - -That was it. The descending object was a _spaceship_. There had been -many of them during the great days of the Quedak. - -Those great days were over, buried forever beneath the powdery sands. -Only the Quedak remained. He had life and he had a mission to perform. -The driving urgency of his mission remained, even after memory and -function had failed. - -As the Quedak watched, the spaceship dipped lower. It wobbled and -sidejets kicked out to straighten it. With a gentle explosion of dust, -the spaceship settled tail first on the arid plain. - -And the Quedak, driven by the imperative Quedak mission, dragged itself -painfully down from the little hilltop. Every movement was an agony. If -he were a selfish creature, the Quedak would have died. But he was not -selfish. Quedaks owed a duty to the universe; and that spaceship, after -all the blank years, was a link to other worlds, to planets where the -Quedak could live again and give his services to the native fauna. - -He crawled, a centimeter at a time, and wondered whether he had the -strength to reach the alien spaceship before it left this dusty, dead -planet. - - * * * * * - -Captain Jensen of the spaceship _Southern Cross_ was bored sick with -Mars. He and his men had been here for ten days. They had found no -important archeological specimens, no tantalizing hints of ancient -cities such as the _Polaris_ expedition had discovered at the South -Pole. Here there was nothing but sand, a few weary shrubs, and a -rolling hill or two. Their biggest find so far had been three pottery -shards. - -Jensen readjusted his oxygen booster. Over the rise of a hill he saw -his two men returning. - -"Anything interesting?" he asked. - -"Just this," said engineer Vayne, holding up an inch of corroded blade -without a handle. - -"Better than nothing," Jensen said. "How about you, Wilks?" - -The navigator shrugged his shoulders. "Just photographs of the -landscape." - -"OK," Jensen said. "Dump everything into the sterilizer and let's get -going." - -Wilks looked mournful. "Captain, one quick sweep to the north might -turn up something really--" - -"Not a chance," Jensen said. "Fuel, food, water, everything was -calculated for a ten-day stay. That's three days longer than _Polaris_ -had. We're taking off this evening." - -The men nodded. They had no reason to complain. As the second to land -on Mars, they were sure of a small but respectable footnote in the -history books. They put their equipment through the sterilizer vent, -sealed it, and climbed the ladder to the lock. Once they were inside, -Vayne closed and dogged the hatch, and started to open the inside -pressure door. - -"Hold it!" Jensen called out. - -"What's the matter?" - -"I thought I saw something on your boot," Jensen said. "Something like -a big bug." - -Vayne quickly ran his hands down the sides of his boots. The two men -circled him, examining his clothing. - -"Shut that inner door," the captain said. "Wilks, did you see anything?" - -"Not a thing," the navigator said. "Are you sure, Cap? We haven't found -anything that looks like animal or insect life here. Only a few plants." - -"I could have sworn I saw something," Jensen said. "Maybe I was -wrong.... Anyhow, we'll fumigate our clothes before we enter the ship -proper. No sense taking any chance of bringing back some kind of -Martian bug." - -The men removed their clothing and boots and stuffed them into the -chute. They searched the bare steel room carefully. - -"Nothing here," Jensen said at last. "OK, let's go inside." - -Once inside the ship, they sealed off the lock and fumigated it. The -Quedak, who had crept inside earlier through the partially opened -pressure door, listened to the distant hiss of gas. After a while he -heard the jets begin to fire. - -The Quedak retreated to the dark rear of the ship. He found a metal -shelf and attached himself to the underside of it near the wall. After -a while he felt the ship tremble. - - * * * * * - -The Quedak clung to the shelf during the long, slow flight through -space. He had forgotten what spaceships were like, but now memory -revived briefly. He felt blazing heat and freezing cold. Adjusting to -the temperature changes drained his small store of vitality, and the -Quedak began to wonder if he was going to die. - -He _refused_ to die. Not while there was still a possibility of -accomplishing the Quedak mission. - -In time he felt the harsh pull of gravity, and felt the main jets -firing again. The ship was coming down to its planet. - - * * * * * - -After a routine landing, Captain Jensen and his men were taken to Medic -Checkpoint, where they were thumped, probed and tested for any sign of -disease. - -Their spaceship was lowered to a flatcar and taken past rows of -moonships and ICBMs to Decontamination Stage One. Here the sealed outer -hull was washed down with powerful cleansing sprays. By evening, the -ship was taken to Decontamination Stage Two. - -A team of two inspectors equipped with bulky tanks and hoses undogged -the hatch and entered, shutting the hatch behind them. - -They began at the bow, methodically spraying as they moved toward the -rear. Everything seemed in order; no animals or plants, no trace of -mold such as the first Luna expedition had brought back. - -"Do you really think this is necessary?" the assistant inspector asked. -He had already requested a transfer to Flight Control. - -"Sure it is," the senior inspector said. "Can't tell what these ships -might bring in." - -"I suppose so," the assistant said. "Still, a Martian whoosis wouldn't -even be able to live on Earth. Would it?" - -"How should I know?" the senior inspector said. "I'm no botanist. Maybe -they don't know, either." - -"Seems like a waste of--hey!" - -"What is it?" the senior inspector asked. - -"I thought I saw something," the assistant said. "Looked a little like -a palmetto bug. Over by that shelf." - -The senior inspector adjusted his respirator more snugly over his face -and motioned to his assistant to do the same. He advanced slowly toward -the shelf, unfastening a second nozzle from the pressure tank on his -back. He turned it on, and a cloud of greenish gas sprayed out. - -"There," the senior inspector said. "That should take care of your -bug." He knelt down and looked under the shelf. "Nothing here." - -"It was probably a shadow," the assistant said. - -Together they sprayed the entire interior of the ship, paying -particular attention to the small box of Martian artifacts. They left -the gas-filled ship and dogged the hatch again. - -"Now what?" the assistant asked. - -"Now we leave the ship sealed for three days," the senior inspector -said. "Then we inspect again. You find me the animal that'll live -through that." - - * * * * * - -The Quedak, who had been clinging to the underside of the assistant's -shoe between the heel and the sole, released his hold. He watched the -shadowy biped figures move away, talking in their deep, rumbling, -indecipherable voices. He felt tired and unutterably lonely. - -But buoying him up was the thought of the Quedak mission. Only that -was important. The first part of the mission was accomplished. He had -landed safely on an inhabited planet. Now he needed food and drink. -Then he had to have rest, a great deal of rest to restore his dormant -faculties. After that he would be ready to give this world what it so -obviously needed--the cooperation possible only through the Quedak mind. - -He crept slowly down the shadowy yard, past the deserted hulls of -spaceships. He came to a wire fence and sensed the high-voltage -electricity running through it. Gauging his distance carefully, the -Quedak jumped safely through one of the openings in the mesh. - -This was a very different section. From here the Quedak could smell -water and food. He moved hastily forward, then stopped. - -He sensed the presence of a man. And something else. Something much -more menacing. - - * * * * * - -"Who's there?" the watchman called out. He waited, his revolver in one -hand, his flashlight in the other. Thieves had broken into the yards -last week; they had stolen three cases of computer parts bound for Rio. -Tonight he was ready for them. - -He walked forward, an old, keen-eyed man holding his revolver in a -rock-steady fist. The beam of his flashlight probed among the cargoes. -The yellow light flickered along a great pile of precision machine -tools for South Africa, past a water-extraction plant for Jordan and a -pile of mixed goods for Rabaul. - -"You better come out," the watchman shouted. His flashlight probed at -sacks of rice for Shanghai and power saws for Burma. Then the beam of -light stopped abruptly. - -"I'll be damned," the watchman said. Then he laughed. A huge and -red-eyed rat was glaring into the beam of his flashlight. It had -something in its jaws, something that looked like an unusually large -cockroach. - -"Good eating," the watchman said. He holstered his revolver and -continued his patrol. - - * * * * * - -A large black animal had seized the Quedak, and he felt heavy jaws -close over his back. He tried to fight; but, blinded by a sudden beam -of yellow light, he was betrayed by total and enervating confusion. - -The yellow light went off. The black beast bit down hard on the -Quedak's armored back. The Quedak mustered his remaining strength, and, -uncoiling his long, scorpion-jointed tail, lashed out. - -He missed, but the black beast released him hastily. They circled -each other, the Quedak hoisting his tail for a second blow, the beast -unwilling to turn loose this prey. - -The Quedak waited for his chance. Elation filled him. This pugnacious -animal could be the first, the first on this planet to experience the -Quedak mission. From this humble creature a start could be made.... - -The beast sprang and its white teeth clicked together viciously. -The Quedak moved out of the way and its barb-headed tail flashed -out, fastening itself in the beast's back. The Quedak held on grimly -while the beast leaped and squirmed. Setting his feet, the Quedak -concentrated on the all-important task of pumping a tiny white crystal -down the length of his tail and under the beast's skin. - -But this most important of the Quedak faculties was still dormant. -Unable to accomplish anything, the Quedak released his barbs, and, -taking careful aim, accurately drove his sting home between the black -beast's eyes. The blow, as the Quedak had known, was lethal. - -The Quedak took nourishment from the body of its dead foe; regretfully, -for by inclination the Quedak was herbivorous. When he had finished, -the Quedak knew that he was in desperate need of a long period of rest. -Only after that could the full Quedak powers be regained. - -He crawled up and down the piles of goods in the yard, looking for a -place to hide. Carefully he examined several bales. At last he reached -a stack of heavy boxes. One of the boxes had a crack just large enough -to admit him. - -The Quedak crawled inside, down the shiny, oil-slick surface of a -machine, to the far end of the box. There he went into the dreamless, -defenseless sleep of the Quedak, serenely trusting in what the future -would bring. - - -PART TWO - - -I - -The big gaff-headed schooner was pointed directly at the reef-enclosed -island, moving toward it with the solidity of an express train. The -sails billowed under powerful gusts of the northwest breeze, and the -rusty Allison-Chambers diesel rumbled beneath a teak grating. The -skipper and mate stood on the bridge deck and watched the reef approach. - -"Anything yet?" the skipper asked. He was a stocky, balding man with -a perpetual frown on his face. He had been sailing his schooner among -the uncharted shoals and reefs of the Southwest Pacific for twenty-five -years. He frowned because his old ship was not insurable. His deck -cargo, however, _was_ insured. Some of it had come all the way from -Ogdensville, that transshipment center in the desert where spaceships -landed. - -"Not a thing," the mate said. He was watching the dazzling white wall -of coral, looking for the gleam of blue that would reveal the narrow -pass to the inner lagoon. This was his first trip to the Solomon -Islands. A former television repairman in Sydney before he got the -wanderlust, the mate wondered if the skipper had gone crazy and planned -a spectacular suicide against the reef. - -"Still nothing!" he shouted. "Shoals ahead!" - -"I'll take it," the skipper said to the helmsman. He gripped the wheel -and watched the unbroken face of the reef. - -"Nothing," the mate said. "Skipper, we'd better come about." - -"Not if we're going to get through the pass," the skipper said. He was -beginning to get worried. But he had promised to deliver goods to the -American treasure-hunters on this island, and the skipper's word was -his bond. He had picked up the cargo in Rabaul and made his usual stops -at the settlements on New Georgia and Malaita. When he finished here, -he could look forward to a thousand-mile run to New Caledonia. - -"There it is!" the mate shouted. - -A thin slit of blue had appeared in the coral wall. They were less than -thirty yards from it now, and the old schooner was making close to -eight knots. - - * * * * * - -As the ship entered the pass, the skipper threw the wheel hard over. -The schooner spun on its keel. Coral flashed by on either side, close -enough to touch. There was a metallic shriek as an upper main-mast -spreader snagged and came free. Then they were in the pass, bucking a -six-knot current. - -The mate pushed the diesel to full throttle, then sprang back to help -the skipper wrestle with the wheel. Under sail and power the schooner -forged through the pass, scraped by an outcropping to port, and came -onto the placid surface of the lagoon. - -The skipper mopped his forehead with a large blue bandanna. "Very snug -work," he said. - -"_Snug!_" the mate cried. He turned away, and the skipper smiled a -brief smile. - -They slid past a small ketch riding at anchor. The native hands took -down sail and the schooner nosed up to a rickety pier that jutted out -from the beach. Lines were made fast to palm trees. From the fringe of -jungle above the beach a white man came down, walking briskly in the -noonday heat. - -He was very tall and thin, with knobby knees and elbows. The fierce -Melanesian sun had burned out but not tanned him, and his nose and -cheekbones were peeling. His horn-rimmed glasses had broken at the -hinge and been repaired with a piece of tape. He looked eager, boyish, -and curiously naive. - -One hell-of-a-looking treasure-hunter, the mate thought. - -"Glad to see you!" the man called out. "We'd about given you up for -lost." - -"Not likely," the skipper said. "Mr. Sorensen, I'd like you to meet my -new mate, Mr. Willis." - -"Glad to meet you, Professor," the mate said. - -"I'm not a professor," Sorensen said, "but thanks anyhow." - -"Where are the others?" the skipper asked. - -"Out in the jungle," Sorensen said. "All except Drake, and he'll be -down here shortly. You'll stay a while, won't you?" - -"Only to unload," the skipper said. "Have to catch the tide out of -here. How's the treasure-hunting?" - -"We've done a lot of digging," Sorensen said. "We still have our hopes." - -"But no doubloons yet?" the skipper asked. "No pieces of eight?" - -"Not a damned one," Sorensen said wearily. "Did you bring the -newspapers, Skipper?" - -"That I did," Sorensen replied. "They're in the cabin. Did you hear -about that second spaceship going to Mars?" - -"Heard about it on the short wave," Sorensen said. "It didn't bring -back much, did it?" - -"Practically nothing. Still, just think of it. _Two_ spaceships to -Mars, and I hear they're getting ready to put one on Venus." - -The three men looked around them and grinned. - -"Well," the skipper said, "I guess maybe the space age hasn't reached -the Southwest Pacific yet. And it certainly hasn't gotten to _this_ -place. Come on, let's unload the cargo." - - * * * * * - -This place was the island of Vuanu, southernmost of the Solomons, -almost in the Louisade Archipelago. It was a fair-sized volcanic -island, almost twenty miles long and several wide. Once it had -supported half a dozen native villages. But the population had begun to -decline after the depredations of the blackbirders in the 1850s. Then -a measles epidemic wiped out almost all the rest, and the survivors -emigrated to New Georgia. A ship-watcher had been stationed here during -the Second World War, but no ships had come this way. The Japanese -invasion had poured across New Guinea and the upper Solomons, and -further north through Micronesia. At the end of the war Vuanu was still -deserted. It was not made into a bird sanctuary like Canton Island, -or a cable station like Christmas Island, or a refueling point like -Cocos-Keeling. No one even wanted to explode alphabet bombs on it. -Vuanu was a worthless, humid, jungle-covered piece of land, free to -anyone who wanted it. - -William Sorensen, general manager of a chain of liquor stores in -California, decided he wanted it. - -Sorensen's hobby was treasure-hunting. He had looked for Lafitte's -treasure in Louisiana and Texas, and for the Lost Dutchman Mine -in Arizona. He had found neither. His luck had been better on the -wreck-strewn Gulf coast, and on an expedition to Dagger Cay in the -Caribbean he had found a double handful of Spanish coins in a rotting -canvas bag. The coins were worth about three thousand dollars. The -expedition had cost very much more, but Sorensen felt amply repaid. - -For many years he had been interested in the Spanish treasure galleon -_Santa Teresa_. Contemporary accounts told how the ship, heavily laden -with bullion, sailed from Manila in 1689. The clumsy ship, caught in a -storm, had run off to the south and been wrecked. Eighteen survivors -managed to get ashore with the treasure. They buried it, and set sail -for the Phillipines in the ship's pinnacle. Two of them were alive when -the boat reached Manila. - -The treasure island was tentatively identified as one of the Solomons. -But which one? - -No one knew. Treasure-hunters looked for the cache on Bougainville -and Buka. There was a rumor about it on Malaita, and even Ontong Java -received an expedition. But no treasure was recovered. - -Sorensen, researching the problem thoroughly, decided that the _Santa -Teresa_ had sailed completely through the Solomons, almost to the -Louisades. The ship must have escaped destruction until it crashed into -the reef at Vuanu. - -His desire to search for the treasure might have remained only a dream -if he hadn't met Dan Drake. Drake was also an amateur treasure-hunter. -More important, he owned a fifty-five-foot Hanna ketch. - -Over an evening's drinks the Vuanu expedition was born. - -Additional members were recruited. Drake's ketch was put into seagoing -condition, equipment and money saved or gathered. Several other -possible treasure sites in the Southwest Pacific were researched. -Finally, vacation time was synchronized and the expedition got under -way. - -They had put in three months' work on Vuanu already. Their morale was -high, in spite of inevitable conflicts between members. This schooner, -bringing in supplies from Sydney and Rabaul, was the last civilized -contact they would have for another six months. - - * * * * * - -While Sorensen nervously supervised, the crew of the schooner unloaded -the cargo. He didn't want any of the equipment, some of it shipped over -six thousand miles, to be broken now. No replacements were possible; -whatever they didn't have, they would have to do without. He breathed -out in relief when the last crate, containing a metals detector, was -safely hoisted over the side and put on the beach above the high-water -mark. - -There was something odd about that box. He examined it and found a -quarter-sized hole in one end. It had not been properly sealed. - -Dan Drake, the co-manager of the expedition, joined him. "What's -wrong?" Drake asked. - -"Hole in that crate," Sorensen said. "Salt water might have gotten in. -We'll be in tough shape if this detector doesn't work." - -Drake nodded. "We better open it and see." He was a short, deeply -tanned, broad-chested man with close-cropped black hair and a straggly -mustache. He wore an old yachting cap jammed down over his eyes, giving -his face a tough bulldog look. He pulled a big screwdriver from his -belt and inserted it into the crack. - -"Wait a moment," Sorensen said. "Let's get it up to the camp first. -Easier to carry the crate than something packed in grease." - -"Right," Drake said. "Take the other end." - -The camp was built in a clearing a hundred yards from the beach, on the -site of an abandoned native village. They had been able to re-thatch -several huts, and there was an old copra shed with a galvanized iron -roof where they stored their supplies. Here they got the benefit of any -breeze from the sea. Beyond the clearing, the gray-green jungle sprang -up like a solid wall. - -Sorensen and Drake set the case down. The skipper, who had accompanied -them with the newspapers, looked around at the bleak huts and shook his -head. - -"Would you like a drink, Skipper?" Sorensen asked. "Afraid we can't -offer any ice." - -"A drink would be fine," the skipper said. He wondered what drove -men to a godforsaken place like this in search of imaginary Spanish -treasure. - -Sorensen went into one of the huts and brought out a bottle of Scotch -and a tin cup. Drake had taken out his screwdriver and was vigorously -ripping boards off the crate. - -"How does it look?" Sorensen asked. - -"It's OK," Drake said, gently lifting out the metals detector. "Heavily -greased. Doesn't seem like there was any damage--" - -He jumped back. The skipper had come forward and stamped down heavily -on the sand. - -"What's the matter?" Sorensen asked. - -"Looked like a scorpion," the skipper said. "Damned thing crawled right -out of your crate there. Might have bit you." - - * * * * * - -Sorensen shrugged. He had gotten used to the presence of an infinite -number of insects during his three months on Vuanu. Another bug more or -less didn't seem to make much difference. - -"Another drink?" he asked. - -"Can't do it," the skipper said regretfully. "I'd better get started. -All your party healthy?" - -"All healthy so far," Sorensen said. He smiled. "Except for some bad -cases of gold fever." - -"You'll never find gold in this place," the skipper said seriously. -"I'll look in on you in about six months. Good luck." - -After shaking hands, the skipper went down to the beach and boarded his -ship. As the first pink flush of sunset touched the sky, the schooner -was under way. Sorensen and Drake watched it negotiate the pass. For a -few minutes its masts were visible above the reef. Then they had dipped -below the horizon. - -"That's that," Drake said. "Us crazy American treasure-hunters are -alone again." - -"You don't think he suspected anything?" Sorensen asked. - -"Definitely not. As far as he's concerned, we're just crackpots." - -Grinning, they looked back at their camp. Under the copra shed was -nearly fifty thousand dollars worth of gold and silver bullion, dug out -of the jungle and carefully reburied. They had located a part of the -_Santa Teresa_ treasure during their first month on the island. There -was every indication of more to come. Since they had no legal title to -the land, the expedition was not eager to let the news get out. Once it -was known, every gold-hungry vagabond from Perth to Papeete would be -heading to Vuanu. - -"The boy'll be in soon," Drake said. "Let's get some stew going." - -"Right," Sorensen said. He took a few steps and stopped. "That's funny." - -"What is?" - -"That scorpion the skipper squashed. It's gone." - -"Maybe he missed it," Drake said. "Or maybe he just pushed it down into -the sand. What difference does it make?" - -"None, I guess," Sorensen said. - - -II - -Edward Eakins walked through the jungle with a long-handled spade on -his shoulder, sucking reflectively on a piece of candy. It was the -first he'd had in weeks, and he was enjoying it to the utmost. He -was in very good spirits. The schooner yesterday had brought in not -only machinery and replacement parts, but also candy, cigarettes and -food. He had eaten scrambled eggs this morning, and real bacon. The -expedition was becoming almost civilized. - -Something rustled in the bushes near him. He marched on, ignoring it. - -He was a lean, sandy-haired man, amiable and slouching, with pale blue -eyes and an unprepossessing manner. He felt very lucky to have been -taken on the expedition. His gas station didn't put him on a financial -par with the others, and he hadn't been able to put up a full share -of the money. He still felt guilty about that. He had been accepted -because he was an eager and indefatigable treasure-hunter with a good -knowledge of jungle ways. Equally important, he was a skilled radio -operator and repairman. He had kept the transmitter on the ketch in -working condition in spite of salt water and mildew. - -He could pay his full share now, of course. But _now_, when they were -practically rich, didn't really count. He wished there were some way he -could-- - -There was that rustle in the bushes again. - -Eakins stopped and waited. The bushes trembled. And out stepped a mouse. - -Eakins was amazed. The mice on this island, like most wild animal life, -were terrified of man. Although they feasted off the refuse of the -camp--when the rats didn't get it first--they carefully avoided any -contact with humans. - -"You better get yourself home," Eakins said to the mouse. - -The mouse stared at him. He stared back. It was a pretty little mouse, -no more than four or five inches long, and colored a light tawny brown. -It didn't seem afraid. - -"So long, mouse," Eakins said. "I got work to do." He shifted his spade -to the other shoulder and turned to go. As he turned, he caught a flash -of brown out of the corner of his eye. Instinctively he ducked. The -mouse whirled past him, turned, and gathered itself for another leap. - -"Mouse, are you out of your head?" Eakins asked. - -The mouse bared its tiny teeth and sprang. Eakins knocked it aside. - -"Now get the hell out of here," he said. He was beginning to wonder if -the rodent was crazy. Did it have rabies, perhaps? - -The mouse gathered itself for another charge. Eakins lifted the spade -off his shoulders and waited. When the mouse sprang, he met it with a -carefully timed blow. Then carefully, regretfully, he battered it to -death. - -"Can't have rabid mice running around," he said. - -But the mouse hadn't seemed rabid; it had just seemed very determined. - -Eakins scratched his head. Now what, he wondered, had gotten into that -little mouse? - -In the camp that evening, Eakins' story was greeted with hoots of -laughter. It was just like Eakins to be attacked by a mouse. Several -men suggested that he go armed in case the mouse's family wanted -revenge. Eakins just smiled sheepishly. - - * * * * * - -Two days later, Sorensen and Al Cable were finishing up a morning's -hard work at Site 4, two miles from the camp. The metals detector had -shown marked activity at this spot. They were seven feet down and -nothing had been produced yet except a high mound of yellow-brown earth. - -"That detector must be wrong," Cable said, wiping his face wearily. -He was a big, pinkish man. He had sweated off twenty pounds on Vuanu, -picked up a bad case of prickly heat, and had enough treasure-hunting -to last him a lifetime. He wished he were back in Baltimore taking care -of his used-car agency. He didn't hesitate to say so, often and loudly. -He was one member who had not worked out well. - -"Nothing wrong with the detector," Sorensen said. "Trouble is, we're -digging in swampy ground. The cache must have sunk." - -"It's probably a hundred feet down," Cable said, stabbing angrily at -the gluey mud. - -"Nope," Sorensen said. "There's volcanic rock under us, no more than -twenty feet down." - -"Twenty feet? We should have a bulldozer." - -"Might be costly bringing one in," Sorensen said mildly. "Come on, Al, -let's get back to camp." - -Sorensen helped Cable out of the excavation. They cleaned off their -tools and started toward the narrow path leading back to the camp. They -stopped abruptly. - -A large, ugly bird had stepped out of the brush. It was standing on the -path, blocking their way. - -"What in hell is that?" Cable asked. - -"A cassowary," Sorensen said. - -"Well, let's boot it out of the way and get going." - -"Take it easy," Sorensen said. "If anyone does any booting, it'll be -the bird. Back away slowly." - -The cassowary was nearly five feet high, a black-feathered ostrich-like -bird standing erect on powerful legs. Each of its feet was three-toed, -and the toes curved into heavy talons. It had a yellowish, bony head -and short, useless wings. From its neck hung a brilliant wattle colored -red, green, and purple. - -"It is dangerous?" Cable asked. - -Sorensen nodded. "Natives on New Guinea have been kicked to death by -those birds." - -"Why haven't we seen it before?" Cable asked. - -"They're usually very shy," Sorensen said. "They stay as far from -people as they can." - -"This one sure isn't shy," Cable said, as the cassowary took a step -toward them. "Can we run?" - -"The bird can run a lot faster," Sorensen said. "I don't suppose you -have a gun with you?" - -"Of course not. There's been nothing to shoot." - - * * * * * - -Backing away, they held their spades like spears. The brush crackled -and an anteater emerged. It was followed by a wild pig. The three -beasts converged on the men, backing them toward the dense wall of the -jungle. - -"They're herding us," Cable said, his voice going shrill. - -"Take it easy," Sorensen said. "The cassowary is the only one we have -to watch out for." - -"Aren't anteaters dangerous?" - -"Only to ants." - -"The hell you say," Cable said. "Bill, the animals on this island have -gone crazy. Remember Eakins' mouse?" - -"I remember it," Sorensen said. They had reached the far edge of the -clearing. The beasts were in front of them, still advancing, with the -cassowary in the center. Behind them lay the jungle--and whatever they -were being herded toward. - -"We'll have to make a break for it," Sorensen said. - -"That damned bird is blocking the trail." - -"We'll have to knock him over," Sorensen said. "Watch out for his feet. -Let's go!" - -They raced toward the cassowary, swinging their spades. The cassowary -hesitated, unable to make up its mind between targets. Then it turned -toward Cable and its right leg lashed out. The partially deflected blow -sounded like the flat of a meat cleaver against a side of beef. Cable -grunted and collapsed, clutching his ribs. - -Sorensen stabbed, and the honed edge of his spade nearly severed the -cassowary's head from its body. The wild pig and the anteater were -coming at him now. He flailed with his spade, driving them back. Then, -with a strength he hadn't known he possessed, he stooped, lifted Cable -across his shoulders and ran down the path. - -A quarter of a mile down he had to stop, completely out of breath. -There were no sounds behind him. The other animals were apparently not -following. He went back to the wounded man. - -Cable had begun to recover consciousness. He was able to walk, -half-supported by Sorensen. When they reached the camp, Sorensen called -everybody in for a meeting. He counted heads while Eakins taped up -Cable's side. Only one man was missing. - -"Where's Drake?" Sorensen asked. - -"He's across the island at North Beach, fishing," said Tom Recetich. -"Want me to get him?" - -Sorensen hesitated. Finally he said, "No. I'd better explain what -we're up against. Then we'll issue the guns. _Then_ we'll try to find -Drake." - -"Man, what's going on?" Recetich asked. - -Sorensen began to explain what had happened at Site 4. - - * * * * * - -Fishing provided an important part of the expedition's food and there -was no work Drake liked better. At first he had gone out with face -mask and spear gun. But the sharks in this corner of the world were -numerous, hungry and aggressive. So, regretfully, he had given up skin -diving and set out handlines on the leeward side of the island. - -The lines were out now, and Drake lay in the shade of a palm tree, -half asleep, his big forearms folded over his chest. His dog, Oro, was -prowling the beach in search of hermit crabs. Oro was a good-natured -mutt, part airdale, part terrier, part unknown. He was growling at -something now. - -"Leave the crabs alone," Drake called out. "You'll just get nipped -again." - -Oro was still growling. Drake rolled over and saw that the dog was -standing stiff-legged over a large insect. It looked like some kind of -scorpion. - -"Oro, leave that blasted--" - -Before Drake could move, the insect sprang. It landed on Oro's neck and -the jointed tail whipped out. Oro yelped once. Drake was on his feet -instantly. He swatted at the bug, but it jumped off the dog's neck and -scuttled into the brush. - -"Take it easy, old boy," Drake said. "That's a nasty-looking wound. -Might be poisoned. I better open it up." - -He held the panting dog firmly and drew his boat knife. He had operated -on the dog for snake bite in Central America, and in the Adirondacks -he had held him down and pulled porcupine quills out of his mouth with -a pair of pliers. The dog always knew he was being helped. He never -struggled. - -This time, the dog bit. - -"Oro!" Drake grabbed the dog at the jaw hinge with his free hand. He -brought pressure to bear, paralyzing the muscles, forcing the dog's -jaws open. He pulled his hand out and flung the dog away. Oro rolled to -his feet and advanced on him again. - -"Stand!" Drake shouted. The dog kept coming, edging around to get -between the ocean and the man. - -Turning, Drake saw the bug emerge from the jungle and creep toward him. -His dog had circled around and was trying to drive him toward the bug. - -Drake didn't know what was going on, and he decided he'd better not -stay to find out. He picked up his knife and threw it at the bug. He -missed. The bug was almost within jumping distance. - -Drake ran toward the ocean. When Oro tried to intercept him, he kicked -the dog out of the way and plunged into the water. - -He began to swim around the island to the camp, hoping he'd make it -before the sharks got him. - - -III - -At the camp, rifles and revolvers were hastily wiped clean of cosmoline -and passed around. Binoculars were taken out and adjusted. Cartridges -were divided up, and the supply of knives, machetes and hatchets -quickly disappeared. The expedition's two walkie-talkies were unpacked, -and the men prepared to move out in search of Drake. Then they saw him, -swimming vigorously around the edge of the island. - -He waded ashore, tired but uninjured. He and the others put their -information together and reached some unhappy conclusions. - -"Do you mean to say," Cable demanded, "that a _bug_ is doing all this?" - -"It looks that way," Sorensen said. "We have to assume that it's able -to exercise some kind of thought control. Maybe hypnotic or telepathic." - -"It has to sting first," Drake said. "That's what it did with Oro." - -"I just can't imagine a scorpion doing all that," Recetich said. - -"It's not a scorpion," Drake said. "I saw it close up. It's got a tail -like a scorpion, but its head is damn near four times as big, and its -body is different. Up close, it doesn't look like anything you ever saw -before." - -"Do you think it's native to this island?" asked Monty Byrnes, a -treasure-seeker from Indianapolis. - -"I doubt it," Drake said. "If it is, why did it leave us and the -animals alone for three months?" - -"That's right," Sorensen said. "All our troubles began just after the -schooner came. The schooner must have brought it from somewhere.... -Hey!" - -"What is it?" Drake asked. - -"Remember that scorpion the skipper tried to squash? It came out of the -detector crate. Do you think it could be the same one?" - -Drake shrugged his shoulders. "Could be. Seems to me our problem right -now isn't finding out where it came from. We have to figure out what to -do about it." - -"If it can control animals," Byrnes said, "I wonder if it can control -men." - - * * * * * - -They were all silent. They had moved into a circle near the copra shed, -and while they talked they watched the jungle for any sign of insect or -animal life. - -Sorensen said, "We'd better radio for help." - -"If we do that," Recetich said, "somebody's going to find out about the -_Santa Teresa_ treasure. We'll be overrun in no time." - -"Maybe so," Sorensen said. "But at the worst, we've cleared expenses. -We've even made a small profit." - -"And if we don't get help," Drake said, "we may be in no condition to -take anything out of here." - -"The problem isn't as bad as all that," Byrnes said. "We've got guns. -We can take care of the animals." - -"You haven't seen the bug yet," Drake said. - -"We'll squash it." - -"That won't be easy," Drake said. "It's faster than hell. And how are -you going to squash it if it comes into your hut some night while -you're asleep? We could post guards and they wouldn't even see the -thing." - -Brynes shuddered involuntarily. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Maybe we'd -better radio for help." - -Eakins stood up. "Well, gents," he said, "I guess that means me. I just -hope the batteries on the ketch are up to charge." - -"It'll be dangerous going out there," Drake said. "We'll draw lots." - -Eakins was amused. "We will? How many of you can operate a transmitter?" - -Drake said, "I can." - -"No offense meant," Eakins said, "but you don't operate that set of -yours worth a damn. You don't even know Morse for key transmission. And -can you fix the set if it goes out?" - -"No," Drake said. "But the whole thing is too risky. We all should go." - -Eakins shook his head. "Safest thing all around is if you cover me from -the beach. That bug probably hasn't thought about the ketch yet." - -Eakins stuck a tool kit in his pocket and strapped one of the camp's -walkie-talkies over his shoulder. He handed the other one to Sorensen. -He hurried down the beach past the launch and pushed the small dinghy -into the water. The men of the expedition spread out, their rifles -ready. Eakins got into the dinghy and started rowing across the quiet -lagoon. - -They saw him tie up to the ketch and pause a moment, looking around. -Then he climbed aboard. Quickly he slid back the hatch and went inside. - -"Everything all right?" Sorensen asked. - -"No trouble yet," Eakins said, his voice sounding thin and sharp over -the walkie-talkie. "I'm at the transmitter now, turning it on. It needs -a couple of minutes to warm up." - -Drake nudged Sorensen. "Look over there." - -On the reef, almost hidden by the ketch, something was moving. Using -binoculars, Sorensen could see three big gray rats slipping into the -water. They began swimming toward the ketch. - -"Start firing!" Sorensen said. "Eakins, get out of there!" - -"I've got the transmitter going," Eakins said. "I just need a couple of -minutes more to get a message off." - - * * * * * - -Bullets sent up white splashes around the swimming rats. One was hit; -the other two managed to put the ketch between them and the riflemen. -Studying the reef with his binoculars, Sorensen saw an anteater cross -the reef and splash into the water. It was followed by a wild pig. - -There was a crackle of static from the walkie-talkie. Sorensen called, -"Eakins, have you got that message off?" - -"Haven't sent it," Eakins called back. "Listen, Bill. We _mustn't_ send -any messages! That bug wants--" He stopped abruptly. - -"What is it?" Sorensen asked. "What's happening?" - -Eakins had appeared on deck, still holding the walkie-talkie. He was -backing toward the stern. - -"Hermit crabs," he said. "They climbed up the anchor line. I'm going to -swim to shore." - -"Don't do it," Sorensen said. - -"Gotta do it," Eakins said. "They'll probably follow me. All of you -come out here and _get that transmitter_. Bring it ashore." - -Through his binoculars, Sorensen could see a solid gray carpet of -hermit crabs crawling down the deck and waterways of the ketch. Eakins -jumped into the water. He swam furiously toward shore, and Sorensen saw -the rats turn and follow him. Hermit crabs swarmed off the boat, and -the wild pig and the anteater paddled after him, trying to head him off -before he reached the beach. - -"Come on," Sorensen said. "I don't know what Eakins figured out, but we -better get that transmitter while we have a chance." - -They ran down the beach and put the launch into the water. Two hundred -yards away, Eakins had reached the far edge of the beach with the -animals in close pursuit. He broke into the jungle, still clinging to -his walkie-talkie. - -"Eakins?" Sorensen asked into the walkie-talkie. - -"I'm all right," Eakins said, panting hard for air. "Get that -transmitter, and don't forget the batteries!" - -The men boarded the ketch. Working furiously, they ripped the -transmitter off its bulkhead and dragged it up the companionway steps. -Drake came last, carrying a twelve-volt battery. He went down again and -brought up a second battery. He hesitated a moment, then went below for -a third time. - -"Drake!" Sorensen shouted. "Quit holding us up!" - -Drake reappeared, carrying the ketch's two radio direction finders and -the compass. He handed them down and jumped into the launch. - -"OK," he said. "Let's go." - - * * * * * - -They rowed to the beach. Sorensen was trying to re-establish contact -with Eakins on the walkie-talkie, but all he could hear was static. -Then, as the launch grounded on the beach, he heard Eakins' voice. - -"I'm surrounded," he said, very quietly. "I guess I'll have to see what -Mr. Bug wants. Maybe I can swat him first, though." - -There was a long silence. Then Eakins said, "It's coming toward me now. -Drake was right. It sure isn't like any bug _I've_ ever seen. I'm going -to swat hell out of--" - -They heard him scream, more in surprise than pain. - -Sorensen said, "Eakins, can you hear me? Where are you? Can we help?" - -"It sure _is_ fast," Eakins said, his voice conversational again. -"Fastest damned bug I've ever seen. Jumped on my neck, stung me and -jumped off again." - -"How do you feel?" Sorensen asked. - -"Fine," Eakins said. "Hardly felt the sting." - -"Where is the bug now?" - -"Back in the bush." - -"The animals?" - -"They went away. You know," Eakins said, "maybe this thing doesn't -work on humans. Maybe--" - -"What?" Sorensen asked. "What's happening now?" - -There was a long silence. Then Eakins' voice, low-pitched and calm, -came over the walkie-talkie. - -"We'll speak with you again later," Eakins said. "We must take -consultation now and decide what to do with you." - -"_Eakins!_" - -There was no answer from the other end of the walkie-talkie. - - -IV - -Returning to their camp, the men were in a mood of thorough depression. -They couldn't understand what had happened to Eakins and they didn't -feel like speculating on it. The ravaging afternoon sun beat down, -reflecting heat back from the white sand. The damp jungle steamed, and -appeared to creep toward them like a huge and sleepy green dragon, -trapping them against the indifferent sea. Gun barrels grew too hot to -touch, and the water in the canteens was as warm as blood. Overhead, -thick gray cumulus clouds began to pile up; it was the beginning of the -monsoon season. - -Drake sat in the shade of the copra shed. He shook off his lethargy -long enough to inspect the camp from the viewpoint of defense. He saw -the encircling jungle as enemy territory. In front of it was an area -fifty yards deep which they had cleared. This no man's land could -perhaps be defended for a while. - -Then came the huts and the copra shed, their last line of defense, -leading to the beach and the sea. - -The expedition had been in complete control of this island for better -than three months. Now they were pinned to a small and precarious -beachhead. - -Drake glanced at the lagoon behind him and remembered that there was -still one line of retreat open. If the bug and his damned menagerie -pressed too hard, they could still escape in the ketch. With luck. - -Sorensen came over and sat down beside him. "What are you doing?" he -asked. - -Drake grinned sourly. "Planning our master strategy." - -"How does it look?" - -"I think we can hold out," Drake said. "We've got plenty of ammo. If -necessary, we'll interdict the cleared area with gasoline. We certainly -aren't going to let that bug push us off the island." He thought for a -moment. "But it's going to be damned hard digging for treasure." - -Sorensen nodded. "I wonder what the bug wants." - -"Maybe we'll find out from Eakins," Drake said. - - * * * * * - -They had to wait half an hour. Then Eakins' voice came, sharp and -shrill over the walkie-talkie. - -"Sorensen? Drake?" - -"We're here," Drake said. "What did that damned bug do to you?" - -"Nothing," Eakins said. "You are talking to that bug now. My name is -the Quedak." - -"My God," Drake said to Sorensen, "that bug must have hypnotized him!" - -"No. You are not speaking to a hypnotized Eakins. Nor are you speaking -to a creature who is simply using Eakins as a mouthpiece. Nor are you -speaking to the Eakins who was. You are speaking to many individuals -who are one." - -"I don't get that," Drake said. - -"It's very simple," Eakins' voice replied. "I am the Quedak, the -totality. But my totality is made up of separate parts, which -are Eakins, several rats, a dog named Oro, a pig, an anteater, a -cassowary--" - -"Hold on," Sorensen said. "Let me get this straight. This is _not_ -Eakins I'm speaking to. This is the--the Quedak?" - -"That is correct." - -"And you control Eakins and the others? You speak through Eakins' -mouth?" - -"Also correct. But that doesn't mean that the personalities of -the others are obliterated. Quite the contrary, the Quedak state -is a federation in which the various member parts retain their -idiosyncrasies, their individual needs and desires. They give their -knowledge, their power, their special outlook to the Quedak whole. The -Quedak is the coordinating and command center; but the individual parts -supply the knowledge, the insights, the special skills. And together we -form the Great Cooperation." - -"Cooperation?" Drake said. "But you did all this by force!" - -"It was necessary in the beginning. Otherwise, how would other -creatures have known about the Great Cooperation?" - -"Would they stay if you released your control over them?" Drake asked. - -"That is a meaningless question. We form a single indivisible entity -now. Would your arm return to you if you cut it off?" - -"It isn't the same thing." - -"It is," Eakins' voice said. "We are a single organism. We are still -growing. And we welcome you wholeheartedly into the Great Cooperation." - -"To hell with that," Drake said. - -"But you must join," the Quedak told them. "It is the Quedak Mission to -coordinate all sentient creatures into a single collective organism. -Believe me, there is only the most trifling loss of the individuality -you prize so highly. And you gain so much more! You learn the -viewpoints and special knowledge of all other creatures. Within the -Quedak framework you can fully realize your potentialities--" - -"No!" - -"I am sorry," the Quedak said. "The Quedak Mission must be fulfilled. -You will not join us willingly?" - -"Never," Drake said. - -"Then _we_ will join _you_," the Quedak said. - -There was a click as he turned off the walkie-talkie. - - * * * * * - -From the fringe of the jungle, several rats appeared. They hesitated, -just out of rifle range. A bird of paradise flew overhead, hovering -over the cleared area like an observation plane. As the men watched, -the rats began to run forward in long zigzags. - -"Start firing," Drake called out. "But go easy with the ammo." - -The men began to fire. But it was difficult to sight on the -quick-moving rats against the grayish-brown clearing. And almost -immediately, the rats were joined by a dozen hermit crabs. They had -an uncanny knack for moving when no one was watching them, darting -forward, then freezing against the neutral background. - -They saw Eakins appear on the fringe of the jungle. - -"Lousy traitor," Cable said, raising his rifle. - -Sorensen slapped the muzzle of the rifle aside. "Don't do it." - -"But he's helping that bug!" - -"He can't help it," Sorensen said. "And he's not armed. Leave him -alone." - -Eakins watched for a few moments, then melted back into the jungle. - -The attack by the rats and crabs swept across half of the cleared -space. Then, as they came closer, the men were able to pick their -targets with more accuracy. Nothing was able to get closer than twenty -yards. And when Recetich shot down the bird of paradise, the attack -began to falter. - -"You know," Drake said, "I think we're going to be all right." - -"Could be," said Sorensen. "I don't understand what the Quedak is -trying to accomplish. He knows we can't be taken like this. I should -think--" - -"Hey!" one of the men called out. "Our boat!" - -They turned and saw why the Quedak had ordered the attack. While it -had occupied their attention, Drake's dog had swum out to the ketch -and gnawed through the anchor line. Unattended, the ketch was drifting -before the wind, moving toward the reef. They saw it bump gently, then -harder. In a moment it was heeled hard over, stuck in the coral. - -There was a burst of static from the walkie-talkie. Sorensen held it -up and heard the Quedak say, "The ketch isn't seriously damaged. It's -simply immobilized." - -"The hell you say," Drake growled. "For all you know, it's got a hole -punched right through it. How do you plan on getting off the island, -Quedak? Or are you just going to stay here?" - -"I will leave at the proper time," the Quedak said. "I want to make -sure that we all leave together." - - -V - -The wind died. Huge gray thunderheads piled up in the sky to the -southeast, their tops lost in the upper atmosphere, their black anvil -bottoms pressing the hot still air upon the island. The sun had lost -its fiery glare. Cherry-red, it slid listlessly toward the flat sea. - -High overhead, a single bird of paradise circled, just out of rifle -range. It had gone up ten minutes after Recetich had shot the first one -down. - -Monty Byrnes stood on the edge of the cleared area, his rifle ready. -He had drawn the first guard shift. The rest of the men were eating a -hasty dinner inside the copra shed. Sorensen and Drake were outside, -looking over the situation. - -Drake said, "By nightfall we'll have to pull everybody back into the -shed. Can't take a chance on being exposed to the Quedak in the dark." - -Sorensen nodded. He seemed to have aged ten years in a day's time. - -"In the morning," Drake said, "we'll be able to work something out -We'll.... What's wrong, Bill?" - -"Do you really think we have a chance?" Sorensen asked. - -"Sure we do. We've got a damned good chance." - -"Be realistic," Sorensen said. "The longer this goes on, the more -animals the Quedak can throw against us. What can we do about it?" - -"Hunt him out and kill him." - -"The damned thing is about the size of your thumb," Sorensen said -irritably. "How can we hunt him?" - -"We'll figure out something," Drake said. He was beginning to get -worried about Sorensen. The morale among the men was low enough without -Sorensen pushing it down further. - -"I wish someone would shoot that damned bird," Sorensen said, glancing -overhead. - -About every fifteen minutes, the bird of paradise came darting down for -a closer look at the camp. Then, before the guard had a chance to fire, -he swept back up to a safe altitude. - -"It's getting on my nerves, too," Drake said. "Maybe that's what it's -supposed to do. One of these times we'll--" - -He stopped abruptly. From the copra shed he could hear the loud hum of -a radio. And he heard Al Cable saying, "Hello, hello, this is Vuanu -calling. We need help." - -Drake and Sorensen went into the shed. Cable was sitting in front of -the transmitter, saying into the microphone, "Emergency, emergency, -Vuanu calling, we need--" - -"What in hell do you think you're doing?" Drake snapped. - - * * * * * - -Cable turned and looked at him, his pudgy pink body streaked with -sweat. "I'm radioing for help, that's what I'm doing. I think I've -picked up somebody. But they haven't answered me yet." - -He readjusted the tuning. Over the receiver, they could hear a bored -British voice saying, "Pawn to Queen four, eh? Why don't you ever try a -different opening?" - -There was a sharp burst of static. "Just move," a deep bass voice -answered. "Just shut up and move." - -"Sure," said the British voice. "Knight to king bishop three." - -Drake recognized the voices. They were ham radio operators. One of -them owned a plantation on Bougainville; the other was a shopkeeper in -Rabaul. They came on the air for an hour of chess and argument every -evening. - -Cable tapped the microphone impatiently. "Hello," he said, "this is -Vuanu calling, emergency call--" - -Drake walked over and took the microphone out of Cable's hand. He put -it down carefully. - -"We can't call for help," he said. - -"What are you talking about?" Cable cried. "We have to!" - -Drake felt very tired. "Look, if we send out a distress call, -somebody's going to come sailing right in--but they won't be prepared -for this kind of trouble. The Quedak will take them over and then use -them against us." - -"We can explain what the trouble is," Cable said. - -"_Explain?_ Explain _what_? That a bug is taking over the island? -They'd think we were crazy with fever. They'd send in a doctor on the -inter-island schooner." - -"Dan's right," Sorensen said. "Nobody would believe this without seeing -it for himself." - -"And by then," Drake said, "it'd be too late. Eakins figured it out -before the Quedak got him. That's why he told us not to send any -messages." - -Cable looked dubious. "But why did he want us to take the transmitter?" - -"So that _he_ couldn't send any messages after the bug got him," Drake -said. "The more people trampling around, the easier it would be for the -Quedak. If he had possession of the transmitter, he'd be calling for -help right now." - -"Yeah, I suppose so," Cable said unhappily. "But, damn it, we can't -handle this _alone_." - -"We have to. If the Quedak ever gets us and then gets off the island, -that's it for Earth. Period. There won't be any big war, no hydrogen -bombs or fallout, no heroic little resistance groups. Everybody will -become part of the Quedak Cooperation." - -"We ought to get help somehow," Cable said stubbornly. "We're alone, -isolated. Suppose we ask for a ship to stand offshore--" - -"It won't work," Drake said. "Besides, we couldn't ask for help even if -we wanted to." - -"Why not?" - -"Because the transmitter's not working," Drake said. "You've been -talking into a dead mike." - -"It's receiving OK," Cable said. - - * * * * * - -Drake checked to see if all the switches were on. "Nothing wrong with -the receiver. But we must have joggled something taking the transmitter -out of the ship. It isn't working." - -Cable tapped the dead microphone several times, then put it down. They -stood around the receiver, listening to the chess game between the man -in Rabaul and the man in Bougainville. - -"Pawn to queen bishop four." - -"Pawn to king three." - -"Knight to Queen bishop three." - -There was a sudden staccato burst of static. It faded, then came again -in three distinct bursts. - -"What do you suppose that is?" Sorensen asked. - -Drake shrugged his shoulders. "Could be anything. Storm's shaping up -and--" - -He stopped. He had been standing beside the door of the shed. As the -static crackled, he saw the bird of paradise dive for a closer look. -The static stopped when the bird returned to its slow-circling higher -altitude. - -"That's strange," Drake said. "Did you see that, Bill? The bird came -down and the static went on at the same time." - -"I saw it," Sorensen said. "Think it means anything?" - -"I don't know. Let's see." Drake took out his field glasses. He turned -up the volume of the receiver and stepped outside where he could -observe the jungle. He waited, hearing the sounds of the chess game -three or four hundred miles away. - -"Come on now, move." - -"Give me a minute." - -"A minute? Listen, I can't stand in front of this bleeding set all -night. Make your--" - -Static crackled sharply. Drake saw four wild pigs come trotting out of -the jungle, moving slowly, like a reconnaissance squad probing for weak -spots in an enemy position. They stopped; the static stopped. Byrnes, -standing guard with his rifle, took a snap shot at them. The pigs -turned, and static crackled as they moved back into the jungle. There -was more static as the bird of paradise swept down for a look, then -climbed out of range. After that, the static stopped. - -Drake put down his binoculars and went back inside the shed. "That must -be it," he said. "The static is related to the Quedak. I think it comes -when he's operating the animals." - -"You mean he has come sort of radio control over them?" Sorensen asked. - -"Seems like it," Drake said. "Either radio control or something -propagated along a radio wavelength." - -"If that's the case," Sorensen said, "he's like a little radio station, -isn't he?" - -"Sure he is. So what?" - -"Then we should be able to locate him on a radio direction finder," -Sorensen said. - -Drake nodded emphatically. He snapped off the receiver, went to a -corner of the shed and took out one of their portable direction -finders. He set it to the frequency at which Cable had picked up the -Rabaul-Bougainville broadcast. Then he turned it on and walked to the -door. - - * * * * * - -The men watched while Drake rotated the loop antenna. He located the -maximum signal, then turned the loop slowly, read the bearing and -converted it to a compass course. Then he sat down with a small-scale -chart of the Southwest Pacific. - -"Well," Sorensen asked, "is it the Quedak?" - -"It's got to be," said Drake. "I located a good null almost due south. -That's straight ahead in the jungle." - -"You're sure it isn't a reciprocal bearing?" - -"I checked that out." - -"Is there any chance the signal comes from some other station?" - -"Nope. Due south, the next station is Sydney, and that's seventeen -hundred miles away. Much too far for this RDF. It's the Quedak, all -right." - -"So we have a way of locating him," Sorensen said. "Two men with -direction finders can go into the jungle--" - -"--and get themselves killed," Drake said. "We can position the Quedak -with RDFs, but his animals can locate us a lot faster. We wouldn't have -a chance in the jungle." - -Sorensen looked crestfallen. "Then we're no better off than before." - -"We're a lot better off," Drake said. "We have a chance now." - -"What makes you think so?" - -"He controls the animals by radio," Drake said. "We know the frequency -he operates on. We can broadcast on the same frequency. We can jam his -signal." - -"Are you sure about that?" - -"Am I _sure_? Of course not. But I do know that two stations in the -same area can't broadcast over the same frequency. If we tuned in -to the frequency the Quedak uses, made enough noise to override his -signal--" - -"I see," Sorensen said. "Maybe it would work! If we could interfere -with his signal, he wouldn't be able to control the animals. And then -we could hunt him down with the RDFs." - -"That's the idea," Drake said. "It has only one small flaw--our -transmitter isn't working. With no transmitter, we can't do any -broadcasting. No broadcasting, no jamming." - -"Can you fix it?" Sorensen asked. - -"I'll try," Drake said. "But we'd better not hope for too much. Eakins -was the radio man on this expedition." - -"We've got all the spare parts," Sorensen said. "Tubes, manual, -everything." - -"I know. Give me enough time and I'll figure out what's wrong. The -question is, how much time is the Quedak going to give us?" - -The bright copper disk of the sun was half submerged in the sea. Sunset -colors touched the massing thunderheads and faded into the brief -tropical twilight. The men began to barricade the copra shed for the -night. - - -VI - -Drake removed the back from the transmitter and scowled at the compact -mass of tubes and wiring. Those metal boxlike things were probably -condensers, and the waxy cylindrical gadgets might or might not be -resistors. It all looked hopelessly complicated, ridiculously dense and -delicate. Where should he begin? - -He turned on the set and waited a few minutes. All the tubes appeared -to go on, some dim, some bright. He couldn't detect any loose wires. -The mike was still dead. - -So much for visual inspection. Next question: was the set getting -enough juice? - -He turned it off and checked the battery cells with a voltmeter. The -batteries were up to charge. He removed the leads, scraped them and put -them back on, making sure they fit snugly. He checked all connections, -murmured a propitiatory prayer, and turned the set on. - -It still didn't work. - -Cursing, he turned it off again. He decided to replace all the tubes, -starting with the dim ones. If that didn't work, he could try replacing -condensers and resistors. If that didn't work, he could always shoot -himself. With this cheerful thought, he opened the parts kit and went -to work. - -The men were all inside the copra shed, finishing the job of -barricading it for the night. The door was wedged shut and locked. The -two windows had to be kept open for ventilation; otherwise everyone -would suffocate in the heat. But a double layer of heavy mosquito -netting was nailed over each window, and a guard was posted beside it. - -Nothing could get through the flat galvanized-iron roof. The floor was -of pounded earth, a possible danger point. All they could do was keep -watch over it. - -The treasure-hunters settled down for a long night. Drake, with a -handkerchief tied around his forehead to keep the perspiration out of -his eyes, continued working on the transmitter. - - * * * * * - -An hour later, there was a buzz on the walkie-talkie. Sorensen picked -it up and said, "What do you want?" - -"I want you to end this senseless resistance," said the Quedak, -speaking with Eakins' voice. "You've had enough time to think over the -situation. I want you to join me. Surely you can see there's no other -way." - -"We don't want to join you," Sorensen said. - -"You must," the Quedak told him. - -"Are you going to make us?" - -"That poses problems," the Quedak said. "My animal parts are not -suitable for coercion. Eakins is an excellent mechanism, but there is -only one of him. And I must not expose myself to unnecessary danger. -By doing so I would endanger the Quedak Mission." - -"So it's a stalemate," Sorensen said. - -"No. I am faced with difficulty only in taking you over. There is no -problem in killing you." - -The men shifted uneasily. Drake, working on the transmitter, didn't -look up. - -"I would rather _not_ kill you," the Quedak said. "But the Quedak -Mission is of primary importance. It would be endangered if you didn't -join. It would be seriously compromised if you left the island. So you -must either join or be killed." - -"That's not the way I see it," Sorensen said. "If you killed -us--assuming that you can--you'd never get off this island. Eakins -can't handle that ketch." - -"There would be no need to leave in the ketch," the Quedak said. "In -six months, the inter-island schooner will return. Eakins and I will -leave then. The rest of you will have died." - -"You're bluffing," Sorensen said. "What makes you think you could kill -us? You didn't do so well today." He caught Drake's attention and -gestured at the radio. Drake shrugged his shoulders and went back to -work. - -"I wasn't trying," the Quedak said. "The time for that was at night. -_This_ night, before you have a chance to work out a better system of -defense. You must join me tonight or I will kill one of you." - -"One of us?" - -"Yes. One man an hour. In that way, perhaps the survivors will change -their minds about joining. But if they don't, all of you will be dead -by morning." - -Drake leaned over and whispered to Sorensen, "Stall him. Give me -another ten minutes. I think I've found the trouble." - -Sorensen said into the walkie-talkie, "We'd like to know a little more -about the Quedak Cooperation." - -"You can find out best by joining." - -"We'd rather have a little more information on it first." - - * * * * * - -"It is an indescribable state," the Quedak said in an urgent, -earnest, eager voice. "Can you imagine yourself as _yourself_ and yet -experiencing an entirely new series of sensory networks? You would, for -example, experience the world through the perceptors of a dog as he -goes through the forest following an odor which to him--and to you--is -as clear and vivid as a painted line. A hermit crab senses things -differently. From him you experience the slow interaction of life at -the margin of sea and land. His time-sense is very slow, unlike that -of a bird of paradise, whose viewpoint is spatial, rapid, cursory. -And there are many others, above and below the earth and water, who -furnish their own specialized viewpoints of reality. Their outlooks, -I have found, are not essentially different from those of the animals -that once inhabited Mars." - -"What happened on Mars?" Sorensen asked. - -"All life died," the Quedak mourned. "All except the Quedak. It -happened a long time ago. For centuries there was peace and prosperity -on the planet. Everything and everyone was part of the Quedak -Cooperation. But the dominant race was basically weak. Their breeding -rate went down; catastrophes happened. And finally there was no more -life except the Quedak." - -"Sounds great," Sorensen said ironically. - -"It was the fault of the race," the Quedak protested. "With sturdier -stock--such as you have on this planet--the will to live will remain -intact. The peace and prosperity will continue indefinitely." - -"I don't believe it. What happened on Mars will happen again on Earth -if you take over. After a while, slaves just don't care very strongly -about living." - -"You wouldn't be slaves. You would be functional parts of the Quedak -Cooperation." - -"Which would be run by you," Sorensen said. "Any way you slice it, -it's the same old pie." - -"You don't know what you're talking about," the Quedak said. "We have -talked long enough. I am prepared to kill one man in the next five -minutes. Are you or are you not going to join me?" Sorensen looked at -Drake. Drake turned on the transmitter. - -Gusts of rain splattered on the roof while the transmitter warmed up. -Drake lifted the microphone and tapped it, and was able to hear the -sound in the speaker. - -"It's working," he said. - - * * * * * - -At that moment something flew against the netting-covered window. The -netting sagged; a fruit bat was entangled in it, glaring at them with -tiny red-rimmed eyes. - -"Get some boards over that window!" Sorensen shouted. - -As he spoke, a second bat hurtled into the netting, broke through it -and tumbled to the floor. The men clubbed it to death, but four more -bats flew in through the open window. Drake flailed at them, but he -couldn't drive them away from the transmitter. They were diving at his -eyes, and he was forced back. A wild blow caught one bat and knocked -it to the floor with a broken wing. Then the others had reached the -transmitter. - -They pushed it off the table. Drake tried to catch the set, and failed. -He heard the glass tubes shattering, but by then he was busy protecting -his eyes. - -In a few minutes they had killed two more bats, and the others had fled -out the window. The men nailed boards over both windows, and Drake bent -to examine the transmitter. - -"Any chance of fixing it?" Sorensen asked. - -"Not a hope," Drake said. "They ripped out the wiring while they were -at it." - -"What do we do now?" - -"I don't know." - -Then the Quedak spoke to them over the walkie-talkie. "I must have your -answer right now." - -Nobody said a word. - -"In that case," the Quedak said, "I'm deeply sorry that one of you must -die now." - - -VII - -Rain pelted the iron roof and the gusts of wind increased in intensity. -There were rumbles of distant thunder. But within the copra shed, the -air was hot and still. The gasoline lantern hanging from the center -beam threw a harsh yellow light that illuminated the center of the -room but left the corners in deep shadow. The treasure-hunters had -moved away from the walls. They were all in the center of the room -facing outward, and they made Drake think of a herd of buffalo drawn up -against a wolf they could smell but could not see. - -Cable said, "Listen, maybe we should try this Quedak Cooperation. Maybe -it isn't so bad as--" - -"Shut up," Drake said. - -"Be reasonable," Cable argued. "It's better than dying, isn't it?" - -"No one's dying yet," Drake said. "Just shut up and keep your eyes -open." - -"I think I'm going to be sick," Cable said. "Dan, let me out." - -"Be sick where you are," Drake said. "Just keep your eyes open." - -"You can't give me orders," Cable said. He started toward the door. -Then he jumped back. - -A yellowish scorpion had crept under the inch of clearance between the -door and the floor. Recetich stamped on it, smashing it to pulp under -his heavy boots. Then he whirled, swinging at three hornets which had -come at him through the boarded windows. - -"Forget the hornets!" Drake shouted. "Keep watching the ground!" - -There was movement on the floor. Several hairy spiders crawled out of -the shadows. Drake and Recetich beat at them with rifle butts. Byrnes -saw something crawling under the door. It looked like some kind of huge -flat centipede. He stamped at it, missed, and the centipede was on his -boot, past it, on the flesh of his leg. He screamed; it felt like a -ribbon of molten metal. He was able to smash it flat before he passed -out. - -Drake checked the wound and decided it was not fatal. He stamped on -another spider, then felt Sorensen's hand clutching his shoulder. He -looked toward the corner Sorensen was pointing at. - -Sliding toward them were two large, dark-coated snakes. Drake -recognized them as black adders. These normally shy creatures were -coming forward like tigers. - - * * * * * - -The men panicked, trying to get away from the snakes. Drake pulled out -his revolver and dropped to one knee, ignoring the hornets that buzzed -around him, trying to draw a bead on the slender serpentine targets in -the swaying yellow light. - -Thunder roared directly overhead. A long flash of lightning suddenly -flooded the room, spoiling his aim. Drake fired and missed, and waited -for the snakes to strike. - -They didn't strike. They were moving away from him, retreating to the -rat hole from which they had emerged. One of the adders slid quickly -through. The other began to follow, then stopped, half in the hole. - -Sorensen took careful aim with a rifle. Drake pushed the muzzle aside. -"Wait just a moment." - -The adder hesitated. It came out of the hole and began to move toward -them again.... - -And there was another crash of thunder and a vivid splash of lightning. -The snake turned away and squirmed through the hole. - -"What's going on?" Sorensen asked. "Is the thunder frightening them?" - -"No, it's the lightning!" Drake said. "That's why the Quedak was in -such a rush. He saw that a storm was coming, and he hadn't consolidated -his position yet." - -"What are you talking about?" - -"The lightning," Drake said. - -"The electrical storm! It's jamming that radio control of his! And when -he's jammed, the beasts revert to normal behavior. It takes him time to -re-establish control." - -"The storm won't last forever," Cable said. - -"But maybe it'll last long enough," Drake said. He picked up the -direction finders and handed one to Sorensen. "Come on, Bill. We'll -hunt out that bug right now." - -"Hey," Recetich said, "isn't there something I can do?" - -"You can start swimming if we don't come back in an hour," Drake said. - - * * * * * - -In slanting lines the rain drove down, pushed by the wild southwest -wind. Thunder rolled continually and each flash of lightning seemed -aimed at them. Drake and Sorensen reached the edge of the jungle and -stopped. - -"We'll separate here," Drake said. "Gives us a better chance of -converging on him." - -"Right," Sorensen said. "Take care of yourself, Dan." - -Sorensen plunged into the jungle. Drake trotted fifty yards down the -fringe and then entered the bush. - -He pushed forward, the revolver in his belt, the radio direction -finder in one hand, a flashlight in the other. The jungle seemed to -be animated by a vicious life of its own, almost as if the Quedak -controlled it. Vines curled cunningly around his ankles and the bushes -reached out thorny hands toward him. Every branch took a special -delight in slapping his face. - -Each time the lightning flashed, Drake's direction finder tried to -home on it. He was having a difficult time staying on course. But, -he reminded himself, the Quedak was undoubtedly having an even more -difficult time. Between flashes, he was able to set a course. The -further he penetrated into the jungle, the stronger the signal became. - -After a while he noticed that the flashes of lightning were spaced -more widely apart. The storm was moving on toward the north, leaving -the island behind. How much longer would he have the protection of the -lightning? Another ten or fifteen minutes? - -He heard something whimper. He swung his flashlight around and saw his -dog, Oro, coming toward him. - -His dog--or the Quedak's dog? - -"Hey there, boy," Drake said. He wondered if he should drop the -direction finder and get the revolver out of his belt. He wondered if -the revolver would still work after such a thorough soaking. - -Oro came up and licked his hand. He was Drake's dog, at least for the -duration of the storm. - -They moved on together, and the thunder rumbled distantly in the north. -The signal on his RDF was very strong now. Somewhere around here.... - -He saw light from another flashlight. Sorensen, badly out of breath, -had joined him. The jungle had ripped and clawed at him, but he still -had his rifle, flashlight and direction finder. - -Oro was scratching furiously at a bush. There was a long flash of -lightning, and in it they saw the Quedak. - - * * * * * - -Drake realized, in those final moments, that the rain had stopped. The -lightning had stopped, too. He dropped the direction finder. With the -flashlight in one hand and his revolver in the other, he tried to take -aim at the Quedak, who was moving, who had jumped-- - -To Sorensen's neck, just above the right collarbone. - -Sorensen raised his hands, then lowered them again. He turned toward -Drake, raising his rifle. His face was perfectly calm. He looked as -though his only purpose in life was to kill Drake. - -Drake fired from less than two feet away. Sorensen spun with the -impact, dropped his rifle and fell. - -Drake bent over him, his revolver ready. He saw that he had fired -accurately. The bullet had gone in just above the right collarbone. It -was a bad wound. But it had been much worse for the Quedak, who had -been in the direct path of the bullet. All that was left of the Quedak -was a splatter of black across Sorensen's chest. - -Drake applied hasty first aid and hoisted Sorensen to his shoulders. He -wondered what he would have done if the Quedak had been standing above -Sorensen's heart, or on his throat, or on his head. - -He decided it was better not to think about that. - -He started back to camp, with his dog trotting along beside him. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Meeting of the Minds, by Robert Sheckley - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MEETING OF THE MINDS *** - -***** This file should be named 51833.txt or 51833.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/1/8/3/51833/ - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law 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. 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