The Philip K. Dick Megapack (37 page)

“Age? No, of course not.”

Brent managed to find word. “You’re gods.”

The girl smiled up at him, dark eyes flashing merrily. “Not really. You have just about everything we have—almost as much knowledge, science, culture. Eventually you’ll catch up with us. We’re an old race. Millions of years ago our scientists succeeded in slowing down the process of decay; since then we’ve ceased to die.”

“Then your race stays constant. None die, none are born.”

The girl pushed past him, through the doorway and down the hall. “Oh, people are born all the time. Our race grows and expands.” She halted at a doorway. “We haven’t given up any of our pleasures.” She eyed Brent thoughtfully, his shouders, arms, his dark hair, heavy face. “We’re about like you, except that we’re eternal. You’ll probably solve that, too, sometime.”

“You’ve moved among us?” Brent demanded. He was beginning to understand. “Then all those old religions and myths were true. Gods. Miracles. You’ve had contact with us, given us things. Done things for us.” He followed her wonderingly into the room.

“Yes. I suppose we’ve done things for you. As we pass through.” The girl moved about the room, letting down the massive drapes. Soft darkness fell over the couches and bookcases and statues. “Do you play chess?”

“
Chess
?”

“It’s our national game. We introduced it to some of your Brahmin ancestors.” Disappointment showed on her sharp little face. “You don’t play? Too bad. What do you do? What about your companion? He looked as if his intellectual capacity was greater than yours. Does he play chess? Maybe you ought to go back and get him.”

“I don’t think so,” Brent said. He moved toward her. “As far as I know he doesn’t do anything.” He reached out and caught her by the arm. The girl pulled away, astonished. Brent gathered her up in his big arms and drew her tight against him. “I don’t think we need him,” he said.

He kissed her on the mouth. Her red lips were warm and sweet; she gasped and fought wildly. He could feel her slim body struggling against him. A cloud of fragrant scent billowed from her dark hair, She tore at him with her sharp nails, breasts heaving violently. He let go and she slid away, wary and bright-eyed breathing quickly, body tense, drawing her luminous robe about her.

“I could kill you,” she whispered. She touched her jeweled belt. “You don’t understand, do you?”

Brent came forward. “You probably can. But I bet you won’t.”

She backed away from him. “Don’t be a fool.” Her red lips twisted and a smile flickered briefly. “You’re brave. But not very smart. Still, that’s not such a bad combination in a man. Stupid and brave.” Agilely, she avoided his grasp and slipped out of his reach. “You’re in good physical shape, too. How do you manage it aboard that little ship?”

“Quarterly fitness courses,” Brent answered. He moved between her and the door. “You must get pretty damn bored here, all by yourself. After the first few thousand years it must get trying.”

“I find things to do,” she said. “Don’t come any closer to me. As much as I admire your daring, it’s only fair to warn you that—”

Brent grabbed her. She fought wildly; he pinned her hands together behind her back with one paw, arched her body taut, and kissed her half-parted lips. She sank her tiny white teeth into him; he grunted and jerked away. She was laughing, black eyes dancing, as she struggled. Her breath came rapidly, cheeks flushed, half-covered breasts quivering, body twisting like a trapped animal. He caught her around the waist and grabbed her up in his arms.

A wave of force hit him.

He dropped her; she landed easily on her feet and danced back. Brent was doubled up, face gray with agony. Cold sweat stood out on his neck and hands. He sank down on a couch and closed his eyes, muscles knotted, body writhing with pain.

“Sorry,” the girl said. She moved around the room, ignoring him, “It’s your own fault—I told you to be careful. Maybe you better get out of here. Back to your little ship. I don’t want anything to happen to you. It’s against our policy to kill Terrans.”

“What—was that?”

“Nothing much. A form of repulsion, I suppose. This belt was constructed on one of our industrial planets; it protects me, but I don’t know the operational principle.”

Brent managed to get to his feet. You’re pretty tough for a little girl.”

“A little girl? I’m pretty
old
for a little girl. I was old before you were born. I was old before your people had rocket ships I was old before you knew how to weave clothing and write your thoughts down with symbols. I’ve watched your race advance and fall back into barbarism and advance again. Endless nations and empires. I was alive when the Egyptians first began spreading out into Asia Minor. I saw the city builders of the Tigris Valley begin putting up their brick houses. I saw the Assyrian war chariots roll out to fight. I and my friends visited Greece and Rome and Minoa and Lyddia and the great kingdoms of the red-skinned Indians. We were gods to the ancients, saints to the Christians. We come and go. As your people advanced we came less often. We have other way-stations; yours isn’t the only stop-over point.”

Brent was silent. Color was beginning to come back to his face.

The girl had thrown herself down on one of the soft couches; she leaned back against a pillow and gazed up at him calmly, one arm outstretched, the other across her lap. He long legs were tucked under her, tiny feet pressed together. She looked like a small, contented kitten resting after a game. It was hard for him to believe what she had told him. But his body still ached; he had felt a minute portion of her power-field, and it had almost killed him. That was something to think about.

“Well?” the girl asked, presently. “What are you going to do? It’s getting late. I think you ought to go back to your ship. Your Captain will be wondering what happened to you.”

Brent moved over to the window and drew aside the heavy drapes. The sun had set. Darkness was settling over the forests outside. Stars had already begun to come out, tiny dots of white in the thickening violet. A distant line of hills jutted up black and ominous.

“I can contact him.” Brent said. He tapped his neck. “In case of emergency. Tell him I’m all right.”

“
Are you all right?
You shouldn’t be here. You think you know what you’re doing. You think you can handle me.” She raised herself up slightly and tossed her black hair back over her shoulders. “I can see what’s going on in your mind. I’m so much like a girl you had an affair with, a young brunette you used to wrap around your finger—and boast about to your companions.”

Brent flushed. “You’re a telepath. You should have told me.”

“A partial telepath. All I need. Toss me your cigarettes. We don’t have such things.”

Brent fumbled in his pocket, got his pack out, and tossed it to her. She lit up and inhaled gratefully. A cloud of gray smoke drifted around her; it mixed with the darkening shadows of the room. The corners dissolved into gloom. She became an indistinct shape, curled up on the couch, the glowing cigarette between her dark red lips.

“I’m not afraid,” Brent said.

“No, you’re not. You’re not a coward. If you were as smart as you are brave—but then I guess you wouldn’t be brave. I admire your bravery, stupid as it is. Man has a lot of courage. Even though it’s based on ignorance, it’s impressive.” After a moment, she said, “Come over here and sit with me.”

* * * *

“What do I have to be worried about?” Brent asked afier awhile. “If you don’t turn on that damn belt, I’ll be all right.”

In the darkness, the girl stirred. “There’s more than that.” She sat up a little, arranged her hair, pulled a pillow behind her head. “You see, we’re of totally different races. My race is millions of years advanced over yours. Contact with us—close contact—is lethal. Not to us, of course. To you. You can’t be with me and remain a human being.

“What do you mean?”

“You’ll undergo changes. Evolutionary changes. There’s a pull which we exert. We’re fully charged; close contact with us will exert influence on the cells of your body. Those animals outside. They’ve evolved slightly; they’re no longer wild beasts. Thev’re able to understand simple commands and follow basic routines. As yet, they have no language. With such low animals it’s a long process, and my contact with them hasn’t really been close. But with you—”

“I see.”

“We’re not supposed to let humans near us. Aeetes cleared out of here. I’m too lazy to go—I don’t especially care. I’m not mature and responsible, I suppose.” She smiled slightly. “And my kind of close contact is a little closer than most.”

Brent could barely make out her slim form in the darkness. She lay back against the pillows, lips parted, arms folded beneath her breasts, head tilted back. She was lovely. The most beautiful woman he had ever seen. After a moment he leaned toward her. This time she didn’t move away. He kissed her gently. Then he put his arms around her slender body and drew her tight against him. Her robe rustled. Her  soft hair brushed against him, warm and fragant.

“It’s worth it,” he said.

“You’re sure? You can’t turn back, once it’s begun. Do you understand? You won’t be human any more. You’ll have evolved. Along lines your race will take millions of years from now. You’ll be an outcast, a forerunner of things to come. Without companions.”

“I’ll stay.” He caressed her cheek, her hair, her neck. He could feel the blood pulsing beneath the downy skin, a rapid pounding in the hollow of her throat. She was breathing rapidly; her breasts rose and fell against him. “If you’ll let me.”

“Yes,” she murmured. “I’ll let you. If it’s what you really want. But don’t blame me.” A half-sad, half mischievous smile flitted across her sharp features; her dark eyes sparkled. “Promise you won’t blame me? It’s happened before— I hate people to reproach me. I always say never again. No matter what.”

“Has it happened before?”

The girl laughed, softly and close to his ear. She kissed him warmly and hugged him hard against her. “In eleven thousand years,” she whispered, “it’s happened quite often.”

* * * *

Captain Johnson had a bad night. He tried to raise Brent on the emergency com, but there was no response. Only faint static and a distant echo of a vid program from Orion X. Jazz music and sugary commercials.

The sounds of civilization reminded him that they had to keep moving. Twenty-four hours was all the time allotted to this planet, smallest of its system.

“Damn,” he muttered. He fixed a pot of coffee and checked his wristwatch. Then he got out of the ship and wandered around in the early-morning sunlight. The sun was beginning to come up. The air turned from dark violet to gray. It was cold as hell. He shivered and stamped his feet and watched some small bird-like things fly down to peck around the bushes.

He was just beginning to think of notifying Orion XI when he saw her.

She walked quickly toward the ship. Tall and slim in a heavy fur jacket, her arms buried in the deep pelt. Johnson stood rooted to the spot, dumbfounded. He was too astonished even to touch his gun. His mouth fell open as the girl halted a little way off, tossed her dark hair back, blew a cloud of silvery breath at him and then said, “I’m sorry you had a bad night. It’s my fault. I should have sent him right back.”

Captain Johnson’s mouth opened and shut. “Who are you?” he managed finally. Fear seized him. “Where’s Brent? What happened?”

“He’ll be along.” She turned back toward the forest and made a sign. “I think you’d better leave now. He wants to stay here, and that is best—for he’s changed. He’ll be happy in my forest with the other—men. It’s strange how all you humans come out exactly alike. Your race is moving along an unusual path. It might be worth our while to study you, sometime. It must have something to do with your low esthetic plateau. You seem to have an innate vulgarity, which eventually will dominate you.”

From out of the woods came a strange shape. For a moment, Captain Johnson thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. He blinked, squinted, then grunted in disbelief. Here, on this remote planet—but there was no mistake. It was definately an immense cat-like beast that came slowly and miserably out of the woods after the girl.

The girl moved away, then halted to wave to the beast, who whined wretchedly around the ship.

Johnson stared at the animal and felt a sudden fear. Instinctively he knew that Brent was not coming back to the ship. Something had happened on this strange planet—that girl…

Johnson slammed the airlock shut and hurried to the control panel. He had to get back to the nearest base and make a report. This called for an elaborate investigation.

As the rockets blasted Johnson glanced through the viewplate. He saw the animal shaking a huge paw futilely in the air after the departing ship.

Johnson shuddered. That was too much like a man’s angry gesture…