[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
"No!"
"Fact! And we're starting right here. By Vega, the Viceregal Palace is buzzing with nothing
else. Some of the officers have even started a lottery on the exact date of the first move. I've
got a hundred credits at twenty to one myself. But then, I drew only to the nearest week. You
can get a hundred and fifty to one, if you're nervy enough to pick a particular day."
"But why here on this Galaxy-forsaken planet?"
"Strategy on the part of the Home Office." Ban Sola leaned forward. "The position we're in
now has us facing a numeri- cally superior enemy hopelessly divided amongst itself. If we
can keep them so, we can take them over one by one. The Human Worlds would just
naturally rather cut their own throats than co-operate with each other."
Wen Hasta grinned agreement, "That's typical mammalian behavior for you. Evolution must
have laughed when she gave a brain to an ape."
"But Earth has particular significance. It's the center of Loarism, because the Humans
originated here. It corresponds to our own Vegan system."
"Do you mean that? But you couldn't! This little two-by- four flyspeck?"
'That's what they say. I wasn't here at the time, so I wouldn't know. But anyway, if we can
destroy Earth, we can destroy Loarism, which is centered here. It was Loarism, the
historians say, that united the Worlds against us at the end
129
BLACK FRIAR OF THE FLAME of the First Drive. No Loarism; the last fear of enemy
unifica- tion is gone; and victory is easy."
"Damned clever! How are we going to go about it?" "Well, the word is that they're going to
pack up every last Human on Earth and scatter them through the subject worlds. Then we
can remove everything else on Earth that smells of the Mammals and make it an entirely
Lhasinuic world."
"But when?"
"We don't know; hence the lottery. But no one has placed his bet at a period more than two
years in the future."
"Hurrah for Vega! I'll give you two to one I riddle a Human cruiser before you do, when the
time comes."
"Done," cried Ban Sola. "I'll put up fifty credits."
They rose to touch fists in token and Wen Hasta grinned at his chronometer, "Another
minute and we'll have an even thousand credits coming to us. Poor Pirat For. He'll groan.
Let's go now; more would be extortionate."
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
There was low laughter as the two Lhasinu left, long cloaks swishing softly behind them.
They did not notice the slightly darker shadow hugging the wall at the head of the stairs,
though they almost brushed it as they passed. Nor did they sense the burning eyes focused
upon them as they descended noiselessly.
Loara Broos Porin jerked to his feet with a sob of relief as he saw the figure of Filip Sanat
stumble across the hall to- ward him. He ran to him eagerly, grasping both hands tightly.
"What kept you, Filip? You don't know what wild thoughts have passed through my head this
past hour. If you had been gone another five minutes, I would have gone mad for sheer
suspense and uncertainty. But what's wrong?"
It took several moments for Loara Broos' wild relief to sub- side sufficiently to note the
other's trembling hands, his di- sheveled hair, his feverishly-glinting eyes; but when it did, all
his fears returned.
He watched Sanat in dismay, scarcely daring to press his question for fear of the answer.
But Sanat needed no urging. In short, jerky sentences he related the conversation he had
overheard and his last words trailed into a despairing silence.
Loara Broos' pallor was almost frightening, and twice he tried to talk with no success other
than a few hoarse gasps. Then, finally, "But it is the death of Loarism! What is to be
done?"
Filip Sanat laughed, as men laugh when they are at last
130
BLACK FRIAR OF THE FLAME convinced that nothing remains to laugh at. "What can be
done? Can we inform the Central Council? You know only too well how helpless they are.
The various Human govern- ments? You can imagine how effective those divided fools
would be."
"But it can't be true! It simply can't be!"
Sanat remained silent for seconds, and then his face twisted agonizedly and in a voice
thick with passion, he shouted, "I won't have it. Do you hear? It shan't be! I'll stop it!"
It was easy to see that he had lost control of himself; that wild emotion was driving him.
Porin, large drops of perspira- tion on his brow, grasped him about the waist, "Sit down,
Filip, sit down! Are you going crazy?"
"No!" With a sudden push, he sent Porin stumbling back- wards into a sitting position, while [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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"No!"
"Fact! And we're starting right here. By Vega, the Viceregal Palace is buzzing with nothing
else. Some of the officers have even started a lottery on the exact date of the first move. I've
got a hundred credits at twenty to one myself. But then, I drew only to the nearest week. You
can get a hundred and fifty to one, if you're nervy enough to pick a particular day."
"But why here on this Galaxy-forsaken planet?"
"Strategy on the part of the Home Office." Ban Sola leaned forward. "The position we're in
now has us facing a numeri- cally superior enemy hopelessly divided amongst itself. If we
can keep them so, we can take them over one by one. The Human Worlds would just
naturally rather cut their own throats than co-operate with each other."
Wen Hasta grinned agreement, "That's typical mammalian behavior for you. Evolution must
have laughed when she gave a brain to an ape."
"But Earth has particular significance. It's the center of Loarism, because the Humans
originated here. It corresponds to our own Vegan system."
"Do you mean that? But you couldn't! This little two-by- four flyspeck?"
'That's what they say. I wasn't here at the time, so I wouldn't know. But anyway, if we can
destroy Earth, we can destroy Loarism, which is centered here. It was Loarism, the
historians say, that united the Worlds against us at the end
129
BLACK FRIAR OF THE FLAME of the First Drive. No Loarism; the last fear of enemy
unifica- tion is gone; and victory is easy."
"Damned clever! How are we going to go about it?" "Well, the word is that they're going to
pack up every last Human on Earth and scatter them through the subject worlds. Then we
can remove everything else on Earth that smells of the Mammals and make it an entirely
Lhasinuic world."
"But when?"
"We don't know; hence the lottery. But no one has placed his bet at a period more than two
years in the future."
"Hurrah for Vega! I'll give you two to one I riddle a Human cruiser before you do, when the
time comes."
"Done," cried Ban Sola. "I'll put up fifty credits."
They rose to touch fists in token and Wen Hasta grinned at his chronometer, "Another
minute and we'll have an even thousand credits coming to us. Poor Pirat For. He'll groan.
Let's go now; more would be extortionate."
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
There was low laughter as the two Lhasinu left, long cloaks swishing softly behind them.
They did not notice the slightly darker shadow hugging the wall at the head of the stairs,
though they almost brushed it as they passed. Nor did they sense the burning eyes focused
upon them as they descended noiselessly.
Loara Broos Porin jerked to his feet with a sob of relief as he saw the figure of Filip Sanat
stumble across the hall to- ward him. He ran to him eagerly, grasping both hands tightly.
"What kept you, Filip? You don't know what wild thoughts have passed through my head this
past hour. If you had been gone another five minutes, I would have gone mad for sheer
suspense and uncertainty. But what's wrong?"
It took several moments for Loara Broos' wild relief to sub- side sufficiently to note the
other's trembling hands, his di- sheveled hair, his feverishly-glinting eyes; but when it did, all
his fears returned.
He watched Sanat in dismay, scarcely daring to press his question for fear of the answer.
But Sanat needed no urging. In short, jerky sentences he related the conversation he had
overheard and his last words trailed into a despairing silence.
Loara Broos' pallor was almost frightening, and twice he tried to talk with no success other
than a few hoarse gasps. Then, finally, "But it is the death of Loarism! What is to be
done?"
Filip Sanat laughed, as men laugh when they are at last
130
BLACK FRIAR OF THE FLAME convinced that nothing remains to laugh at. "What can be
done? Can we inform the Central Council? You know only too well how helpless they are.
The various Human govern- ments? You can imagine how effective those divided fools
would be."
"But it can't be true! It simply can't be!"
Sanat remained silent for seconds, and then his face twisted agonizedly and in a voice
thick with passion, he shouted, "I won't have it. Do you hear? It shan't be! I'll stop it!"
It was easy to see that he had lost control of himself; that wild emotion was driving him.
Porin, large drops of perspira- tion on his brow, grasped him about the waist, "Sit down,
Filip, sit down! Are you going crazy?"
"No!" With a sudden push, he sent Porin stumbling back- wards into a sitting position, while [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]