Cluster (32 page)

“Push-hook irritation to be avoided, Antares,” the Nathian said.

“Anticipating your irritation, an explanation,” one of the protoplasms said. It communicated by erecting a pattern of small temporary extrusions along the topside of its body. As a result, Flint had to aim his translation optic lens directly at it to pick up the meaning. These creatures, too, had to be in spacesuits, though again these were not evident. But of course Flint would not know suit from skin until he had more experience with particular entities.

“I am of Sphere Spica,” the creature went on, “contacted recently by Sphere Sol and granted transfer. Since we are waterborne entities, we cannot go conveniently on land. Therefore we cooperate with our longtime associate Sphere Antares. I am a transferee to an Antarean host, mattermitted here. Trusting no objection by other parties.”

So that was how they managed! “Glad to have you.”

“Pull-hook.”

“Circularity.”

The Mintakan flashed amenably.

The Canopian saucer returned, but this time its passenger spot was empty. “I suspect an unfortunate occurrence,” H:::4 announced. “Please follow my craft.”

“What is it?” Flint demanded.

“I prefer not to speculate.” The Master proceeded slowly back the way it had come.

They followed. Flint walked, the Nathian pulled, the Mintakan sliced, the Polarian rolled, and the two Antareans extruded. The last was especially interesting: they flung out gobs of flesh in snakelike extensions, then humped the main mass of the body through the connecting tube into the forward extension. It was a bit like an inchworm, and a bit like siphoning water from one cup to another. Though it was slow, Flint realized that few barriers would stop such an entity for long; it could pour itself through a tiny hole or fling a blob across a chasm without risk. Commitment of the main mass was gradual. And all in a spacesuit!

The Polarian was the fastest traveler, surely another marvelously constructed spacesuit. Then came Flint and the Mintakan. The others bunched to the rear. This was no race, but Flint made another mental note: should he have to get somewhere ahead of any of these creatures, he knew his chances. He was glad the Polarian was the only entity faster than himself, for he had a basic trust and liking for Polarians. Of course the saucer-mounted Canopian was the speediest of all, but there would be places the saucer could not go. At any rate, rapid transit was not the only asset; it was likely that there would be different rankings for other tasks.

The saucer settled. Flint and the Polarian drew up at the spot indicated and saw the body of a creature. It appeared to be about the same size as the members of the group. There seemed to be a fair similarity of size throughout, as though this represented the sapient optimum. But this one differed in detail. It was solid, with a tripod of extensions projecting from stout tubes.

“A prospective member of our party, defunct,” the Polarian said, his ball touching the ground beside the corpse. Yes, the Polarian spacesuit had to be very cleverly designed to allow ball and wheel to function properly. But of course Earth had no monopoly on technical ingenuity. “Its suit has been punctured.”

“But from which Sphere?” Flint asked. The defunct entity's suit did indeed appear to have been torn open. There must have been explosive decompression, too rapid to allow the creature to stop it before death occurred.

The Mintakan sliced up. “That's a Mirzamian!” it said. “What happened?”

H:::4 looked around from his craft as the other entities arrived. “If I may make my supposition now: there would seem to have been an accident—or murder.”

“Sapiencide!” the Antarean exclaimed.

The Nathian approached the body. “All that we understand about our sister Sphere indicates that Mirzamians are extraordinarily careful. They propel themselves by vigorous jumping, so pay extreme attention to their surroundings lest they be damaged on impact.”

Impact. That reminded Flint of the three-gendered Spicans: Undulants, Sibilants, Impacts. He glanced at the Spican/Antarean, but noted no reaction. Of course he could not be sure there was any equivalence in that language. No sense searching for clues where none existed.

“I observe no outcroppings of rock or other natural feature that could account for such an accident,” the Master said.

Flint remembered his experience with the power hopper on Luna. His mode of transportation there would have been rather similar to that used by the Mirzamian. There had been many rough natural features on Earth's huge moon, but he had not been in any immediate danger from them. This seemed to rule out accident.

“Yet if there has been no slipshod anchorage–” the Nathian began.

“There must be a murderer among us,” one of the Antareans finished. Flint observed it covertly, trying to distinguish it more certainly from the other. This was the larger, more translucent one, shot through with whitish strands Flint presumed were nerve fibers. The other, who claimed to be the Spican transferee, was milky throughout, and seemed more delicate: feminine. Not that that was applicable. How did the three-gendered Spicans react in transfer to a two-gendered form? Or
were
Antareans two-gendered? He should have checked that out.

The seven diverse creatures began to draw apart. “One of us,” the Mintakan flashed, paused, and resumed. ”Is a spy or a traitor.”

“Not surprising,” Flint said. “News of this Ancient site has spread rapidly, and the Andromedans always have been aware of our activities. One of their agents tried to kill me in Sphere Canopus.”

“Sphere Canopus resisted membership in the coalition,” H:::4 said. “But we do not stoop to inter-Sphere sabotage, and are as cognizant as any of the mutual threat. Once we joined, we cooperated fully.”

“I meant no criticism of Sphere Canopus,” Flint said. “In fact, it was the intrusion of that Andromedan agent that brought Canopus into the coalition. My point is that we have since ascertained that it was an Andromedan agent, a female I have known as
C
le of A[
^th
] or Llyana the undulant, who animated those hosts, attacked me, and provided Canopus with specialized transfer information rather than betray her true identity.”

“Pardon my misapprehension,” the Master said.

“I trapped her for a time in Sphere Spica, but now I suspect she is one of our present number.”

“You speak of a female,” the Nathian tapped. “Our findings indicate that transfer cannot be made to a creature of a different gender from the original. This offers an avenue of investigation.”

“But we are genderless,” the Antarean objected.

“And our genders are interchangeable,” the Spican/Antarean added. “This is why this host is compatible: it is neuter. Transfer to a gendered species would be problematical.”

“Neuter or interchangeable means no restriction, then,” Flint said. “But Nath is correct: where two genders exist, gender crossover is not possible in transfer. So a quick survey may succeed in eliminating some of us from suspicion. I, for example, am male.”

“This is not circular,” the Polarian said. “I, too, am male, but how am I to demonstrate this to those unfamiliar with my species? How can the rest of us be certain of the accuracy of statements by any one of us?”

“I am familiar with your species,” Flint said. “I settled a debt as a transferee to your Sphere.”

“Then you can name the defunct party of the debt settlement,” the Polarian said.

Flint snapped his spear into full length and raised it, orienting on the other. “You are in a Polarian body, but you could be an alien transferee. I believe I can puncture your spacesuit with this weapon before you can either attack me or escape, and if you attempt either, the others will know you are an impostor.”

“Solarian, this a gross hook repulsion,” the Nathian protested. “This entity has given no–”

“Debt settlement is very special,” Flint said, maintaining the poise of his spear. “There is no dead party.”

The Polarian stood still. “That is my other point. Any or all of us could be transferees, and are therefore suspect. The Andromedans surely have male agents as well as female ones. Even if we verify gender, how may we know the true identity of each of us?”

“I assure you–” the Antarean began.

“You have not abated my suspicion,” Flint said to the Polarian. “This is not based on gender, but on information. How do you settled debt?”

“This is not a matter we discuss lightly.”

The Mintakan cut slowly forward. “The Solarian has challenged the Polarian. It seems likely than one or the other is false, but how should we know which one? I am familiar with neither entity, and do not know about debt settlement, so can not verify the validity of any given answer.”

“I am familiar with the Polarian system,” the Nathian said. “I begin with the Solarian's point. It is a matter of–”

“Do not say it!” the Canopian Master interrupted. “You must serve to verify the answer given. It is true we have no direct way of knowing, on an individual basis, which of us is valid. But each Sphere overlaps at its fringe with one or more others. This is how we established initial contact with each other. We can employ that network to isolate the intruder. Perhaps.”
 

“I agree,” Flint said. “Maybe this investigation should be handled by H:::4. We can put it to a vote.”

There was a general flurry of confusion. Flint did not relax, but he realized belatedly that the Polarian's reference could have been a trap for
him
, unmasking him if he agreed. He really did not have much of a case, and should not have acted so rashly.

It was the Polarian who spoke. “Nath and Sol and Sador—unfortunately not present—intersect Polaris, and Nath and Sol also intersect Canopus. Exchange of interviews should verify the reality in circular manner.”

“But Sol and Nath are suspect too,” the Spican protested. “And so am I, for I
am
a transferee.”

“We have to decide on a course of action,” Flint said, growing impatient. “We can vote.”

“What is a vote?” the Mintakan asked.

Oh—so that was the source of some of the confusion. The human concept of voting was as opaque as the Polarian concept of debt.

“It means each entity says yes or no, and all abide by the decision of the majority,” Flint explained.

“Impossible,” the Spican said. “There must always be three sides to any question, no majority. As the maxim goes, it takes three to mate.”

“Push hook to the proposal,” the Nathian agreed. “No entity can decide for another.”

Flint saw that they were in danger of dissolving into chaotic debate and indecision. “Then I must act unilaterally. Polarian, I accuse you of being a transferee from Andromeda, murderer of this Mirzam entity and threat to this expedition. What refutation do you offer for me and Nath?”

“Your thrust is dismaying, but typical of your kind,” the Polarian replied. “Permit me to round it off. I will satisfy your query, then query you myself.”

“Fair exchange,” Flint said, hoping the Polarian could vindicate himself. “Now stop stalling.” The others were silent, waiting too.

“My prior statement was misleading,” the Polarian said. “The Sol system of thrust abates debt by conflict. It would be natural for a Solarian to assume this was true in Sphere Polaris. Thus the Solarian's challenge to me verifies his stated Polarian experience.”

“This does not pull,” the Nathian said. “The push is to Polaris, not Sol.”

“I abate it now. Please forgive my necessary indelicacy. Debt between male and female normally is abated by the mating of the two individuals concerned, and the transfer of the male's seed-ball to the female as her new wheel. This involves–”

“I am satisfied,” Flint said,” with relief, lowering his spear. “I apologize for my suspicion.”

“Now I pose my return query, completing the circle. How is debt abated between Polarians of similar gender?”

Flint's mouth dropped open. “I have no idea,” he said. “I never thought of that!”

“Yet you actually abated debt as a transferee?”

“I don't expect you to believe this in the circumstance,” Flint said, feeling the cynosure of the eyeless creatures around him. “I
was
in Sphere Polaris, but it never occurred to me to inquire once my own debt was abated. Actually I couldn't have inquired at first, being mute.”

“You, Nath?” the Polarian inquired.

“Two males with debt must seek two females with similar debt,” the Nathian replied promptly. “One male then makes formal exchange of obligation with one female. He now abates her debt by mating with her debt sister. The other pair proceeds similarly. This is known as 'squaring' debt, one of the few examples of non-circularity in Polarian custom, the subject of ribaldry. There are special conventions for debt between juveniles, or when one party to debt dies before abatement.”

“Obvious, now,” Flint said. “I should have known.”

“Demurral,” the Polarian said. “This verifies that even extended transfer cannot replace native knowledge or long-term acquaintance. A transferee cannot deceive one who is truly familiar with the culture.”

“I stand ready to verify my own identity similarly,” H:::4 said. “I am satisfied with this mode of–”

“
I
am not satisfied,” Mintaka said. “Sol fouled up his own question, and Nath merely applied logic. Who would
I
exchange questions with? The representative of our neighbor Mirzam is dead.”

“Impasse threatens,” H:::4 said. “Let Sol challenge the others of us as he did Polaris. At least this accomplishes something. We cannot debate interminably, or we fail in our mutual mission through default.”

“Now wait,” Flint said. “This is a murder mystery and I hardly know how to–”

“Agreement,” the Polarian said. “Sol's forward thrust and linear thinking seem best here.”