A. Smith: Royal Road

“I believed them,” said Duke Harald.

“You are not a Terran. Such social-psychological factors are, of course, conditioned by the planetary culture. You men from outer space,” admitted Master Elwyn, “have always been our gravest danger.”

There was one more point that bothered the Arkadian. He brought it into the open.

“It seems to me,” he said slowly, “that this secret, being known to us, is now no longer secret. Or do you trust us not to speak?”

“No,” said the adept, firmly. “I will be frank, your grace. This embassy is under guard. It will remain so, until you agree—as Count Godfrey and his secretary have agreed—to submit to a permanent hypnotic block against revealing what has happened. That is why I am still here.”

“I see.” From the Terran’s point of view it made, of course, an obvious final safeguard. And there could be no question of refusing. Still—

“One thing more. This treatment: will it rob me of the esper skill?”

“Esper skill? Why, you have none.”

“But—the drug?”

“Your grace,” said Master Elwyn with slow patience, “have you noticed any sign of telepathic power?”

“No,” admitted the Arkadian. And added, stubbornly, “But I haven’t really tried as yet.”

“Try now,” invited Master Elwyn. “Try to read my mind. I give you full permission—nor will I set up barriers against you.”

Long seconds ticked away and added up to minutes while Duke Harald tried.

“Is there some special method?” he asked at last. “Some trick of the mind that I should know?”

“No, your grace. There is no trick. It is no harder than to open your eyes.”

“Then,” Count Godfrey asked the puzzled question, “did the drug work, or didn’t it?”

“It worked—last night. And brought psychosis in its train. However—and I’ll try to keep the explanation simple—in overcoming that delirium, in reestablishing his defenses against his own unconscious, Duke Harald thereby nullified the action of the drug. And canceled, I am certain, any future chance of using it.”

“Very well, then.” Confronted thus with total overthrow of all his plans, Duke Harald spoke with difficulty. “Very well, install your hypnotic block—and have done!”

“I must first,” there was sympathy in Master Elwyn’s tone, “ask your permission to explore your mind. Only thus can I obtain the data necessary for sure action.”

“Permission granted,” said Duke Harald. At least, with the block in force, he would not have to talk about this episode, even to Count Godfrey. There would be no unwanted sympathy. He closed his eyes and waited; and wondered if he would feel the contact when it came.

“Is something wrong?” That was Count Godfrey’s voice. Duke Harald raised his eyes, to see a look of sheer bewilderment on Master Elwyn’s face.

“This,” said the Terran adept slowly, talking rather to himself than to the others, “is incredible! Incredible,” he repeated, looking at Duke Harald oddly. “May I ask another favor of your grace?”

“Why,” said the Arkadian, as excitement suddenly possessed him, “yes, by all means. But what has happened?”

“I would like you to delay your journey home to Arkady,” said Master Elwyn in some agitation. “I would like you to come to the Institute for thorough scientific study!”

“But why? Have you detected traces of the esper skill?”

“On the contrary.” The old man stood erect, began to pace the floor. “Not that. But—I cannot read your mind!”

The two Arkadians only stared. Not being Terrans, for a moment the full meaning of that statement—from an adept!—did not register.

“I think,” said Master Elwyn finally, “that I can guess what happened. But it will take the full resources of the esper laboratory to elucidate the details. However, here is what I think: To overcome your psychosis of last night, you had to rebuild all your mental barriers. That, I explained before. But now, it seems, you have gone further and installed new ones. For the first time in the history of the Esper Institute, a mind has been encountered which is completely screened!”

Events had been happening too fast for Duke Harald. He was still a little fuzzy-minded from exhaustion. It remained, therefore, for old Count Godfrey to seize upon the other implications of the situation.

“Completely screened?” he asked. “No one can read his mind?”

“No one,” said Master Elwyn.

“Not even an alien life form?” Count Godfrey was insistent in his probing.

“Not the ones that trouble you on Arkady,” the adept said, and glanced at him with understanding. “That much I can assure you.”

“Then,” said the old Count Godfrey, looking at Duke Harald with an eye of shining triumph, “this is success, not failure, after all! If you can make a battle plan and keep it secret from the aliens—

“Sire,” he said, and stressed the ancient title, “you have found your royal road!”