Hal Clement - Cycle of Fire

There was no sign of life. They approached the edge of the clearing cautiously, stopping as they saw the first huts. At Kruger’s order they spread out, to make poorer targets for possible hidden crossbows, and continued their advance until all were within the village.

Still there was neither sound nor motion. House after house was entered cautiously and searched, all with the same negative result. The place was indeed deserted.

“And I suppose my books went with them!” Dar Lang Ahn topped the conclusion bitterly.

“Seems likely. I’m afraid, unless you want to go back to the pool and pry open that trap door. Of course we still haven’t been to the little hut where they reported to their Teachers. Though how a Teacher fitted into that I don’t understand, now that I’ve seen one of them.”

“That’s not the important point.” Dar was off toward the indicated hut like a bolt from his own crossbow. He vanished inside and an instant later called Kruger’s name.

“What is it?” asked the boy as he broke into a run toward the hut. “Did they leave your books as a gesture of good will?”

“Not the books. I can’t describe the thing.” Kruger was inside the door with Dar’s last words. For a moment he stopped while his eyes adjusted to the darkness; then he saw what the little pilot meant.

The hut was unfurnished except for a rude table in the center. On that table was lying a piece of apparatus. It was uncased, and contained coils and condensers and what must have been vacuum tubes, all exposed to view. Kruger realized what it must be almost instantly, but he was given no chance to voice his opinion. The device on the table spoke first.

“Come in, Nils Kruger. I have been waiting for you for quite a while. There is much we have to say to each other.”

THE VOICE was that of the Teacher; there was no mistaking it. Equally, there was no mistaking the fact that Nils Kruger was going to have to revise a number of his ideas. Not even the race which had its headquarters at the ice cap and spread cities over most of the planet had radios, so far as he knew. Could this being have learned more electricity than seemed possible from the deserted city?

“Why were you waiting for me?” asked the boy. “I didn’t expect very much to come back, myself — or did you think I needed the fire-lighter too badly to leave it for long?”

“I was sure that Dar Lang Ahn would be back for his books; I know his people too well to doubt that. Later, I knew you would be with him.”

“How did you know?”

“I was told. I will explain that in due course. You may not believe it, but in spite of all that I have done which you may resent, I am not entirely your enemy. I am willing to allow you to live as long as your nature permits — provided that certain conditions are met.”

“And if they are not?” Kruger naturally resented the hidden being’s words.

“Then accidents will continue to happen. You cannot escape all of them.”

Slowly the meaning of this dawned on the boy.

“You mean the landslide over by the city, and the pit, were done on purpose?”

“I mean just that. I also mean that a certain door did not lock itself accidentally, and a trap was left unguarded and unlocked with a purpose, and a certain geyser was allowed to feed its outlet instead of a heat exchanger. Be sensible, Kruger; you know too little of this planet, and I know too much.”

“But you could’t…” Kruger stopped; the very fact that this thing knew about the events at the Ice Ramparts made his objection ridiculous. He changed his wording.

“How did you find out? Are you one of the Teachers from there?”

“I talk to them frequently.”

“Then did they cause those accidents at your request, or did they want to get rid of me on their own, or did you do it in spite of them?”

“They caused them at my order. They did not want you destroyed; from a purely personal viewpoint neither do I. Unfortunately you are too cooperative.”

“In what way? And why should that be a point against me?”

“I asked you many questions while you were a prisoner here, not only about yourself but about the technical knowledge you have. You answered them all, truthfully and, as far as I was able to tell, correctly. I am not an electrician myself, but I know enough to follow most of what you said.”

“What is your objection to that?”

“If you tell me, whom you had no reason to trust, you will presumably tell Dar Lang Ahn’s people. I have no objection to the state of civilization which they now enjoy, but there are good and sufficient reasons why we do not want them to match the technology of your people.”

“How do you know what our technical level is?”

“You told me enough yourself merely by being here.”

“What is your objection to their learning our technology, if you learn it too?”

“Principally, we do not want them to leave this planet. We need them here.” Kruger began to develop a strong suspicion at this point and asked a question designed to check it.

“How about these people of yours who were here in the village? Would you object to their learning?”

“Very much. They are easier to control as they are.”

“How is it that you dare tell me all this with Dar Lang Ahn listening to the conversation?”

“His Teachers know it already. They did not want to help me get rid of you, but I was able to bring pressure to bear. When their attempts failed I had them send you back here, to be persuaded if possible, destroyed if not.”

Kruger, convinced that his idea was right, leaned forward and spoke with more anger than he had felt in his previous life. “That does it. You are not the same race as Dar’s people or as the people who lived in this village. You have the villagers to do as you want in the way of everyday labor, and the rest pretty much the same thing in more complicated matters. I don’t know whether you or they are the original inhabitants of this world, but I can certainly see why you don’t want them to leave it now. You might have to do some of your own work! Isn’t that it?” Kruger was so furious by the time he reached the end of this speech that it was a wonder the hidden being could understand him, but it apparently did.

“You are partly right,” it answered calmly.

“Partly! I’m right from soup to nuts. I dare you to let me see you!”

“I’m afraid that’s not possible just now.”

“Why not? Afraid I’ll step on you?”

“Not quite that. However, our meeting under the same conditions would indeed result in the death of one of us. I could not survive in your environment and I am pretty sure you could not in mine — at least Dar Lang Ahn certainly could not.”

“Then he, and not you, is one of the natives of this world. You came and conquered it!”

“I do not know enough of the past to refute that belief, but I have reason to doubt it.”

“It’s certainly plain enough.”

“You make an extremely positive statement on remarkably little data. Would you be willing to promise not to reveal any knowledge to Dar Lang Ahn’s people, except what we approve…”

“No!”

“Let me finish — until you have learned enough about us to form a balanced opinion?”

“Who decides when my opinion is balanced?”

“I would agree to release you from your promise whenever you asked, with the understanding that I might then find it expedient or necessary to dispose of you.”

“How do you know I’ll feel bound by a promise obtained under such terms?”

“I should not advise you to do or say anything which would give me reason to doubt the value of your word. I am sure you can see why.”