The Mystery of Ireta (59 page)

Kai was outside his dome now and aware that, by way of a special blessing, Ireta had produced a glowing sunrise of spectacular brilliance. Mouth agape, he admired the eastern sky, clear blue in a band above the distant mountains. Above that, clouds were a blood red, tinged with orange and yellow, vivid primaries to startle the eye. The vaster bowl of deeper-gray night clouds began to spread with a deep purple, rolling back from the clear morning sky. Thunder rumbled in the distance and a cool sweet-scented breeze wafted gently through a force-screen which would have rebuked stiffer winds. Such a spectacular dawn could only be the harbinger of great things, Kai thought. But he was not prone to believe in presentiments and frowned at the whimsy.

“For once, this blighted planet is pretty,” Lunzie said as she quietly joined him.

Kai smiled at her, pleased to share the dawn’s magnificence with someone else.

“What’s the commotion? Every signal in the camp’s sounding.” Lunzie rubbed her eyes, sleepily.

“Sassinak’s sent for me.”

“My presence has been requested as well. Varian, too?”

“I’d expect so. And I’m just on my way to rouse the officers.”

“I’ll help.” Lunzie’s smile had a touch of malice for the men of the
Zaid-Dayan
had imbibed mass quantities of her brew. Lunzie could take an unkindly delight in the discomforts caused others by overindulgence.

They had roused the deep sleepers when the globe bleeped cheerfully. As Lunzie and Kai emerged from the dome, dawn light reflected from the side of the pinnace. Kai was opening the veil when the vessel’s sonic boom cracked.

“They wasted no time, did they?” Lunzie said.

Fordeliton was the pilot. “We’re to collect Varian as well,” he said, gesturing for them to belt up in their seats. “Sector HQ sent an update, and Kai,” he turned to give the geologist a broad grin, “the
ARCT-10
is okay. In fact their message only just reached Sector.”

“What happened to it? Have you any details?” Kai strained against his seat belt, leaning toward the pilot in his excitement.

“If you’ll shut up,” Fordeliton replied good-naturedly. “That cosmic storm they went off to investigate was considerably more powerful than even the wildest estimates. Sector has sent down The Word that that sort of space hazard is to be ‘avoided, repeat, avoided’ in the future. Your ship lost one whole drive pod and the main communications frames, with severe damage to the other three drive units. Some of the living compounds were riddled by debris, but there was no great loss of life. The names of casualties were not included in the message. At any rate, your EV had to limp to the nearest system on auxiliary power. Which took forty-three years. Sector sent them a signal about your safety and well-being. So you should soon have a status report.” Ford grinned over his shoulder at Kai, delighted to be the bearer of good tidings.

“That sunrise was a good augury,” Lunzie remarked with an air of pleased surprise.

Kai squirmed against the restraint of the seat belts, sensible of a relief so intense that it left an ache at the base of his skull.

“I never have understood why the EVs consider themselves invulnerable to the hazards of space,” Lunzie said. “One reason I opted for your mission when it came up, Kai. I figured I’d be a lot safer on a planet than tagging a cosmic storm.” She gave him a wry grin. “Of course, I have been safer.”

“What? With mutineers, cold sleep, fringes, and now pirates?” Fordeliton demanded, astonished.

“At least my feet were on solid ground and there’s plenty of oxygen in Ireta’s air.”

Fordeliton made a deprecating sound and pinched his nostrils. Then leaned forward over his console as the pinnace began its descent to collect Varian. She was standing on the cliff top as the pinnace slid to a landing.

“The
ARCT
’s okay, Varian,” Kai cried as soon as she entered. Her jubilation had to be cut short as Ford ordered her belted up for the run to the plateau. Kai repeated as much as he knew about the status of the
ARCT-10
, reliving his own immense relief in Varian’s expressions of joy.

“But if the
ARCT
isn’t even on its way to us, why this early morning call from Sassinak?” Varian asked.

“Thek,” Ford replied succinctly.

“They’ve verified?” Lunzie asked.

“That’s Sassinak’s assumption, but the word arrived in typical Thek language. No details.”

“Very interesting,” Lunzie said. A note in her voice made both Kai and Varian stare at her. “Were Thek in evidence?”

“No change in the Bears,” Ford said. “I take that back,” he went on, suddenly alert. “They’ve moved!”

He flipped on the main screen in the pinnace, and they could all see the plateau. The cruiser and the transport had not moved, but Medium-Size Thek was gone from its sentry position near the cruiser’s gangway, and the three Great-Big Thek were no longer just beyond the squat hulk of the transport. They were at the far end of the landing grid. The comunit buzzed.

“Fordeliton here. Yes, Commander. We just noticed the redisposition. Yes? Aye, aye, ma’am.” He made a slight deviation in approach path. “I’m to deliver you there. Muhlah!” he cried as all the proximity alarms went off.

“Don’t deviate!” Lunzie’s cry was so authoritative Ford did not correct his flight path. But the pinnace shook as incoming Thek brushed past, speeding to join the others at the far end of the grid.

“What was that?” Varian demanded, aware of the near collision.

“Bonnard’s horde of Thek,” Kai replied, with considerable irritation. Even Thek, or especially Thek, should follow ordinary flight safety procedures.

“What did they think they were doing just then?” Varian demanded, expressing a similar outrage.

“Preparing for a conference,” Lunzie replied, and once again her tone was strained. Abruptly, she divested herself of the seat belts. “Can you slow down, Ford? Just Kai and Varian are called to this meeting?”

“No, the commander is, too, and,” Ford now pointed to the viewscreen, “it looks like someone from the settlement
and
the transport have received invitations.” Captain Cruss was plodding across the grid, and the two sleds, one from the cruiser and the other from the settlement, each with a single passenger, headed toward the Thek. “
Now
what are they doing?” Ford demanded in a perplexed tone.

He flipped up the magnification on the forward screen for a better view of the activity. The smaller Thek horde had not landed by the bigger ones. While some hovered, others began to attach themselves to the Great-Big Bears, defying gravity by creating an overhang. Suddenly the three Medium-Size Bears appeared. Two of them hovered as well, turning tapered ends down to fit themselves into the gaps between the biggest Thek.

“Yes, I was right,” Lunzie said softly. “I’ve heard of this configuration, but I never thought to see one. It’s a Thek conference!” Awe and amazement tinged the medic’s voice. “Kai, Varian, if you’re to remember more than just what they want you to know, I’d better buffer you.”

“I don’t understand,” Kai said, glancing from the edifice the Thek were constructing to Lunzie’s stern expression.

“Do you trust me?”

“Of course, and I trust the Thek, too. They’ve never done our species any harm.”

Lunzie’s mouth twitched in a wry smile. “You do know the opinion they have of us ephemerals, though? They subscribe to the ‘need to know’ school of information transmission. Frankly, I’d rather know all there is to know about what has been happening on Ireta that has broken out so many Thek. Wouldn’t you?”

Kai had to concur with that.

“Well, then, I know three things about a Thek conference. One, they don’t happen frequently—maybe once a century. Two, there is no way to elude complete disclosure during one. I don’t even know how Thek delve into alien minds, but there is absolutely no doubt that they do.” Lunzie’s stern expression relaxed to the point of a reassuring nod. “You have nothing to fear, Kai. Your clear consciences and pure hearts will stand you in good stead now. The third point is that, considering the time generally spent within that Thek enclosure, the reports of participants confirm the fact that they remember relatively little of what actually occurred during the conference. In fact, only what concerned them in particular. I don’t know if a mind buffer will help, but I think it’s worth a try in these circumstances. Don’t you?” She cocked her head, regarding Kai steadily.

“Lunzie has made three valid points,” Ford said with a quiet earnestness that held a note of urgency. “And I’m going to have to land soon.”

“I’m game,” Varian said, straightening her shoulders and pointedly not looking at Kai.

“This conference is something you will
want
to remember, Kai,
in toto
,” Lunzie added gently. “Once in a while, we ephemerals need a break. It’s no disloyalty to the Thek, you know.”

With a sharp nod of his head, Kai agreed, despite some lingering reluctance. He couldn’t have said why he resisted what was eminently a sensible precaution because he most emphatically wanted to know exactly what had been happening on Ireta. Especially if the
ARCT-10
had reported in and could very well be on its way to retrieve the expedition.

“Relax,” Lunzie said, “clear your mind of thought, breathe slowly and deeply, ready to enter trance.”

Unlike a barrier situation, Lunzie merely reinforced commands originally implanted during the training Varian and Kai had received as Disciples, intended to prevent post-hypnotic suggestions. She finished the buffering just as Fordeliton brought the pinnace down, a slight distance from the towering Thek edifice. A narrow aisle remained between two of the Great-Big Thek while the Medium-Size Thek hovered. The smallest Thek which had not fit into the roof of the building had locked themselves against the sides like flying buttresses. A cathedral! Yes, Kai decided—that’s what the structure resembles, and a suitable reverence suffused him.

Sassinak and Aygar descended from their sleds, the young Iretan looking at the Thek structure with outright suspicion. “Why have they done that?” he asked Varian, then looked almost accusingly at Kai. “What’s going on? Why was I compelled to come?”

“The Thek are about to tell you,” Sassinak replied.

“Then why don’t they get on with it? Why do they need to build a monument?” He made a derisive gesture toward the edifice.

“You’ve been accorded a unique honor, young man,” Lunzie said, aware of Kai’s growing antagonism.

“Lately, I seem to be the recipient of many I could well do without.” Aygar’s supercilious glance swept them all, resting finally on the massive figure of Captain Cruss. “What’s the matter with him? He shouldn’t have trouble walking on this planet.”

His comment caused the others to turn and look at the heavy-worlder whose gait was, indeed, curious. He seemed to be leaning slightly backward and his legs moved only from the knee in an oddly constricted gait.

“I don’t think he approves of this meeting any more than you do, Aygar.” Lunzie smiled mirthlessly. “But he’s attending it, will he or won’t he.”

Captain Cruss was near enough now for the expression on his face to be visible: one of furious indignation and resistance. It could also be seen that he wasn’t walking, he was being transported just above ground level and all the time trying to reach the ground to dig in his heels.

“A little help from a friendly Thek would have saved
us
a lot of trouble, wouldn’t it?” Lunzie remarked to Sassinak, her eyes sparkling with delight at the heavy-worlder’s predicament. “Will you be able to remember the proceedings?” she asked the commander.

“My memory will be clear, I assure you. Come, we are all here now. It would be impolite to keep our hosts waiting.”

With a grin, Sassinak took Aygar by the arm and strode boldly into the Thek monument. The unwilling Captain Cruss brought up the rear. The instant he passed the portal, it closed with a soft thunk.

“Cathedral” is quite appropriate, Kai thought, appraising his bizarre surroundings. The illumination of the interior enhanced that choice.

“Is Tor here?” Varian asked Kai in a subdued voice.

“I hope so,” Kai murmured, scanning the individual triangles of Thek making up the ceiling. Thin lines of light defining the various parts of the whole abruptly closed. Yet there was no appreciable darkening.

“I think they located their ancient Thek,” Sassinak said, also speaking in a low voice. She pointed to the far side. Kai now distinguished the outline of an object lying on the ground. It seemed to be a collection of porous shards, a dull, dark, charcoal gray rather than the usual Thek obsidian. “And if that is indeed a very ancient Thek, we ephemerals will have to revise some favorite theories . . . and some jokes.”

Kai wasn’t sure her levity was appropriate; nevertheless he felt oddly reassured by her comment.

“Commander, I demand an explanation of the outrageous treatment to which I have been subjected,” Captain Cruss cried, his heavy voice reverberating so loudly that the others winced.

“Don’t be stupid, Cruss.” Sassinak pivoted on her heel to face the huge man. “You know perfectly well the Thek are a law unto themselves. And you are now subject to that law, and about to sample its justice.”

It occurred to Kai that they had inadvertently fallen into a triangular pattern themselves: Cruss at one apex, Aygar at another, himself and Varian at the third while Sassinak was at the center. That was the last observation he had time to make for the Thek began to speak.

“We have verified.” The statement was a shock to Kai, not for its content for he had assumed that was why this extraordinary meeting had been convened, but because the statement was a full sentence, and because the sound which provided the sentence seemed to move about the inner walls in syllables. “Ireta is for Thek as it has been for hundreds of millions of years. It will remain Thek. For these reasons . . .”

A curious note sounded in Kai’s mind at that point, but he had control enough only to notice that Varian was similarly affected and then conscious thought was impossible as a white sound enveloped them all.

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