The Stones of Nomuru
- Автор: Де Камп Лайон Спрэг
- Серия: Viagens Interplanetarias #7
- Язык: английский
- Жанр: Научная фантастика
Электронная книга - «The Stones of Nomuru». Краткое содержание книги:
Mild-mannered Terra archeologist Keith Salazar was just minding his business, digging up the alien past on an out-of-the-way site on the planet Kukulcan, when suddenly he was beseiged by intruders on his scholarly peace: hostile natives, an indifferent ex-wife, and a demon developer with rapacious eyes glued on both his site and his true love.
In the course of protecting his dig, regaining his loved one and vanquishing his rival, Salazar will fight a giant reptilian predator bare-handed, leap into snake-filled pits, engineer the planet's first imperial conquest, lead and train a battalion of alien riflemen, and hold a séance. Pretty exciting work--but then maybe Keith Salazar wasn't such a milquetoast after all...
"Well?"
"I just want you to understand. No matter what she says, she's my woman. If I see you making time with her—well, when you get back to civilization, you'd better have your insurance paid up."
A younger Keith Salazar might have told Bergen to go to hell; but by now he had learned to take the long view. If he and Bergen quarreled openly, or if he gave the developer an excuse to beat him up again, the Kooks would merely gather about to enjoy the spectacle. Besides, Bergen might kill him, in which case there would be nobody to oppose Bergen's aggressions towards Kara. So Salazar's first duty, for the present, was to stay alive and able-bodied. He said evenly:
"My dear Conrad, you seem to think I'm your rival for Kara."
"Well, aren't you? I've seen the way you look at her when you don't think she's watching. You get as horny as those tseturens I shot."
"Whatever my private feelings, she's made it plain she wants nothing from me but a business relationship. As for you, that's up to her."
"Okay; but don't say I didn't warn you," growled Bergen, turning away.
Late on the sixth day, a stir among the Kooks announced Pokrovskii's return. The three jutens and their riders stalked up to the cage. On a lead, one of the escort towed a kudzai, heavy-laden with a pair of large saddle bags. At a Choshas command, Pokrovskii's mount squatted; and the man, now visibly less fat, slid off the juten's tail.
"Damned beast shake me to pieces," he groaned. "But I got your stuff, Conrad. Now we go give it to prophet."
Pokrovskii disappeared with the escort and the beast of burden. An hour later he came back with a crowd of Kooks. The captives eagerly crowded towards the gate.
"No, no!" said Pokrovskii. "Not all at once. Stand back; got to do this right, say Prophet."
A Chosha untied the rope-lashing. When he opened the gate just wide enough for the passage of one person, Pokrovskii ordered: "You first, Conrad."
Bergen slid through. Pokrovskii cried: "Now you, Kara!"
As soon as Travers had made his exit, the Kook slammed the gate and began to tie the lashing back in place.
"Hey!" cried Salazar. "What about us?"
"You stay," grinned Bergen. "Himself has so ordered."
"The hell you say! You fixed it this way—" Salazar leaped to the gate and tried to undo the lashing. But the Chosha on guard punched his knuckles with its scaly fists until he gave up, his hands lacerated and bleeding.
The four freed captives walked off. Salazar saw Kara arguing vehemently with Bergen as they disappeared among the tents. He turned back to Ragnarsen.
"You weren't much help, Hjalmar!"
The minister shrugged. "What could I do? I did not expect to be freed with the rest of you, unless the Prophet had another nocturnal visit from Jesus. I was not surprised, observing how Bergen hates you."
"You figured that out? He and I have been acting fairly civil here."
"I know; but I have some small skill in reading human emotions. I suspect that this animosity arises from your common interest in Miss Sheffield. I understand that she was once married to you and later affianced—"
"And as far as I know," said Salazar, "she wants nothing from either her former husband or her former fiancé."
"Bergen is a man of great force, unused to having his wishes thwarted. He will not give up easily, and I should not wager on Miss Sheffield's ability to restrain him on their present journey." Ragnarsen sighed. "What chance have two simple idealists like us, caught between a visionary fanatic and a selfish, unscrupulous plutocrat? Sometimes one wonders whether the good God knew what he was doing when he designed the universe."
Next morning, using sign language and the few words of Chosha that he had picked up, Salazar indicated that he wished to see Prophet Kampai. An hour's wait later, claw-locked to a pair of guards, he was led to the Prophet's tent. Kampai was judging disputes, so Salazar had to wait for hours more. When at last he was admitted to the revered one's presence, he said:
"Your Holiness, has there not been some mistake? I am sure the ransom arrangement was meant to include me and the Reverend Ragnarsen as well."
"Thou art mistaken, Sarasara," said the Prophet. "Mr. Bergen hath made it plain that payment should be for him and other three alone. Whereas he will be useful to me when I have spread the blessings of my divinely directed rule around this world, I yielded his desires unto him. As for thee, I await instructions from Jesus, as do for thy holy man. Thou mayst go; may thy life be tranquil!"
Salazar spent the rest of the day conferring with Ragnarsen, discussing ideas for escape. The minister, however, took a fatalistic view and lacked enthusiasm for any plan. Extending his hands palms up, he said:
"In addition, it is my duty to undo the harm I have unwittingly done. I must attempt to convince Kampai that the true God is not the bloodthirsty tribal chieftain of the Pentateuch ..."
"Hjalmar," said Salazar, "you haven't learned that in one way, the minds of the Kooks work much like ours."
"What do you mean?"
"They use their brains for thinking up plausible reasons for doing whatever they want to do. Kampai wants to rule the world. If he couldn't find pretexts in the Bible, he'd find them elsewhere or make them up in his own scaly head."
On the third night after Bergen's departure, as Salazar was sleeping fitfully with his back against a corner of the cage, something poked his spine.
"Keith!" Kara whispered. "Get ready to leave. When I shoot the sentry, grab his knife and cut the lashing; there won't be time to untie it."
"What—how—"
"Don't talk; just do as I say!"
Salazar rolled to his feet. He paused to shake Ragnarsen, whispering: "Get up, Hjalmar! We're leaving!"
"Huh? Hva er dette? Oh, it is you—"
"Hush! Come with me!"
Silently the two approached the gate. Salazar dimly glimpsed Kara, flitting ghostlike outside. The sentry stood stolidly; Salazar knew that, in addition to poor night vision, Kooks found it hard to stay awake at night. A flash and the crack of a Terran rifle, and the sentry fell.
"Here!" whispered Kara, thrusting the hilt of the sentry's knife through the bars. Salazar grasped the heavy, broad-bladed weapon in both hands and slashed at the half-seen rope. At the second blow, the lashing parted; and the gate creaked open.
Then the velvet blanket of darkness was rent by the raucous voices of Choshas, aroused by the shot. While gunfire was familiar, since the nomads practiced at targets and fired muskets to celebrate, the sound of a Terran rifle at night in that place called for explanation.
Salazar felt his way through the opening, then turned. "Aren't you coming, Hjalmar?" he whispered.
"No. I must remain to set this misguided chieftain's feet on the path of grace."
"But your head will grace his pole!"
"As God wishes."
"Hurry, Keith!" whispered Kara. "Take the gun."
The pair zigzagged among the tents, whence came a babble of Kookish voices raised in inquiry. As the fugitives rounded a tent, Kara tripped over a tent rope and fell. As Salazar paused to help her up, a musket-bearing Chosha appeared. The Kook shouted and, when the Terrans continued their flight, fired. Salazar heard the whistle of the ball close above his head.
"This way!" gasped Kara as the clamor grew.
Then they were out of the camp. Salazar in turn took a tumble in the darkness. "Goddamn! Bashed my knee," he mumbled as he scrambled up. He ran on, limping.
Two more muskets barked. Kara said: "They've seen us. Let's duck off to the side."
"Okay. To the right!"