Alexander Kazantsev - The Destruction of Faena

Ave nodded silently.

The explorers collected up everything they needed, armed themselves at Gor Terr’s insistence with pistols, though loaded only with stun bullets harmless to animal life, and set off into the forest.

Mada urgently wanted to see Um Sat, but Smel Ven refused to let her; he was anxious to get into the forest before darkness fell.

They pitched camp on the shore of the lake from which the stream fell into the chasm. White birds with curved necks were swimming on rippling water that was tinged with mother-of-pearl.

“Why do they have such long necks?” asked Toni Fae.

“To fetch up underwater weeds,” replied Mada.

“A very peaceful occupation,” commented Gor Terr.

The evening glow was already flickering in the sky when Smel Ven sent Mada and Ave to survey the other shore of the lake. They had to make their way across the stream, jumping from rock to rock.

They walked on, occasionally stooping under low branches, dressed in their clinging black suits and delightedly looking about them. Suddenly, they both stopped in their tracks.

A reindeer, its antlered head flung back, raced past in front of them. A powerful beast with a spotted hide was following it in great soft bounds. It overtook the reindeer and pounced on its neck. The victim, its artery bitten through, made a last desperate bound and collapsed under a tree. There was a bellowing sound. The beast was tearing its prey to pieces.

Ave snatched at his pistol to reload it with poisoned bullets.

“We daren’t take lives here,” intervened Mada. “We mustn’t bring Faena’s morals with us.”

“I’m afraid they already exist here.”

“But why?”

“The laws of life’s development on the planets are exactly the same.”

“But what about the watering place?” protested Mada weakly. “None of them attacked any of the others there.”

“A beast of prey can’t just slaughter animals. It lets them live, drink, propagate and grow. Otherwise it won’t have anything to eat. It’s like a forest animal-breeder: by catching the weakest when out hunting, it improves the selection of the herd.”

Mada made no objection. She walked along at Ave’s side, dejected, conscious of his hand on her shoulder. But suddenly he snatched it away and slapped his forehead. Mada involuntarily did the same. Then she stared in bewilderment at her fingers, which were stained with blood. It had become dark in the forest and there was a buzzing noise everywhere. Tiny flying creatures swooped on the Faetians and began stinging them. Ave and Mada had to pluck branches and beat the flies off.

They found Smel Ven alone in the camp. He was frantically slapping his cheeks and neck.

“Filthy creatures!” he swore. “We’d be better off in our space-suits.”

“I was terribly wrong,” began Mada at once. “Ave and I have just seen murder in the forest. Murder is committed here as on Faena! We must move the camp back to the rocket as soon as possible, to open ground where there aren’t any insects or beasts of prey.”

“We’re not going back to the rocket,” snapped Smel Ven. “There’s a far more terrible death in store for us there—the one that was lying in wait for Dm Sat.”

“What d’you mean?” Mada was outraged. “And you. Dm Saf’s deputy, wouldn’t allow me, as a doctor, to be with him?”

“Such was his will. It’s not just filthy flying creatures or spotted predators, but the hidden microworld that’s bared its teeth at us.”

“I’m going to Um Sat!” declared Mada.

“With me,” added Ave.

“Only cowards who’ve found a pretext escape by running away!” shouted Smel Ven after them, forgetting his own false warning.

Mada ran ahead. Ave could hardly see her outline in the swiftly approaching darkness. Suddenly, his heart contracted with pain. It seemed to him that Mada had been stopped by a gigantic round-shouldered creature with long, dangling arms. He drew his pistol, which he still hadn’t loaded with live ammunition, but noticed that Mada was not in the least afraid. Ave gasped with relief. That showed how badly his nerves had been set on edge by the forest episode! He hadn’t recognised Gor Terr. And now the puny Toni Fae also turned up.

Ave put his pistol away and only then did he see at least five figures like Gor Terr with him. The Faetoids knocked Toni Fae and the frantically resisting Mada off their feet. The whole gang of them charged at Gor Terr.

Ave dashed towards Gor Terr, but couldn’t tell him from among the similar round-shouldered, shaggy beasts. They sorted themselves out and all five of them hurled themselves on Ave.

He hadn’t time to draw his pistol. He merely shook off the assailants clinging to him. They were bigger than Ave, but had no idea how to fight. Using his fists and his feet, Ave scattered the beasts as they fell on him. Two of them writhed under a tree, the others flung themselves at Ave again. Throwing over his shoulder one who stank of sweat and mud, he glimpsed Gor Terr dealing with his opponents. Several shaggy carcasses were squirming at his feet. But still more of the enemy were tumbling down onto his shoulders from the trees. Ave tried to shout that he should run to open ground, but a shaggy paw clamped itself over his face. Ave twisted the paw till the bones cracked.

Mada was nowhere to be seen. Nor was Toni Fae. Only Gor Terr and Ave Mar continued the unequal struggle.

“Hold out, Ave!” shouted Gor Terr. “These are all of one local family!”

Ave flung aside the first assailants, but at least a dozen fresh ones leapt on him. Four taloned paws fastened on to each of his hands and feet.

The young Faetian summoned up all his strength, heaved and crashed to the ground, crushing his enemies underneath him. More shaggy beasts leapt onto the pile of weltering bodies. He felt as if he had been buried in a mine shaft: he could neither move nor breathe.

On seeing Ave’s predicament, Gor Terr rushed to help him. But it would have probably been easier to fell with one shoulder the wide-spreading tree under which the scrum had taken place than to come to Ave’s assistance. Then Gor Terr made a sudden leap and grabbed hold of a low branch. Two or three of the Faetoids, no shorter in stature than he was himself, hung onto his legs. The bough bent, threatening to crack. With an incredible burst of strength, Gor Terr hoisted himself up onto the bough with all the animals clinging to him. They dived head-downwards off it, howling frantically. Two more seemed to be waiting above Gor Terr, but were thrown down.

With an agility denied to his shaggy opponents, Gor Terr literally soared up to the topmost branches of the tree.

Despairing shrieks and roars came from below.

Gor Terr jumped down from the topmost branch and, it seemed, ought to have crashed into the paws of the beasts galloping in a frenzy round it, but by some miracle he seized hold of a branch on a neighbouring tree and ran lightly along it, although it bent under his considerable weight.

A way had been found, the only escape from the bellowing herd below.

Gor Terr couldn’t understand why none of the fanged beasts had bitten him. There was no time to think about it, and he continued running along the upper branches. He might well have been envied by his remote ancestors, who had come down from the trees of Faena once upon a time.

His pursuers, however, were running along below every bit as fast as he was himself.

At this point, Gor Terr saw something like a Faetian liana. It hung down from a distant, very high tree and was caught on one of the branches near him. Gor Terr seized hold of the living cable and flew downwards. He had a glimpse of the infuriated herd. Gathering speed like a swinging pendulum, he sailed over his pursuers’ heads and managed to kick the biggest of them. He was followed by a despairing wail.