E.C Tubb: Eye of the Zodiac

"The Eye, have you seen it?"

Dumarest remained silent.

"How large is it, then?" Usdon was more devious. "You can see that we need proof of what you say."

"It isn't very large-and you need no proof. I will deliver it once I reach the town."

So it was on Shajok! Again Vestaler reached for the wine, halting his hand as it touched the jug. Now was the time for a clear head, and he regretted what he had already taken.

"So it is in the town," he said. "You could tell us where it is and, when we have recovered it, you will be free to leave."

"No."

"You doubt my word?"

"It's my life," said Dumarest harshly. "Too many accidents could happen on the journey. We do it my way, or not at all."

An impasse, but Usdon had a suggestion. "The woman, are you willing to leave her behind?"

"To join me later? Yes."

A possible way out, yet would Dumarest really care if she joined him at all? A chance they had to take, and there would be armed men accompanying him with firm instructions to kill if he should attempt to elude them, or fail to do as he promised.

"Very well," said Vestaler. "Let us make the arrangements."

Iduna glanced at them as they left the house. She stood several yards away, facing the end of the valley away from the mountains.

She stiffened as Dumarest touched her.

"Earl! You promised-"

"To leave you alone and I shall. I'll be leaving soon. You will follow in a few days."

"Leaving? No, Earl, you can't! You mustn't leave me here alone!"

"You'll be safe, Iduna." His voice hardened at her expression. "There's no help for it. It has to be this way."

"You could wait another few days."

"Wait for what?"

"For-" Her eyes moved from his face, focused on the sky, grew alight at what she saw. "For that, Earl. For that!"

A raft which dropped quickly to the ground, to settle close. A raft which held two figures dressed in flaming scarlet, one holding a laser, both adorned with the great seal of the Cyclan.

Chapter Fifteen

Hsi dominated the Council chamber. He stood like a living flame at the end of the table, the acolyte at his side. The cyber's voice was a careful modulation, only the words held an implacable threat.

"I have a device buried within my body. Should my heart cease to beat a signal will be sent and received by those to whom I belong. They will know when and where I died. If it is in this valley, then total destruction will follow. Every man, woman and child, every plant, every animal will be burned to ash."

"You wouldn't dare," said Vestaler. "You haven't the power."

"It would be a mistake for you to think that," said Hsi evenly. "I have no concern for you in this valley-once I depart you may continue your life as before. My only interest lies in Earl Dumarest."

And he had him, finally caught, unable to run, prevented from killing by his concern for others. A weakness which no cyber would be guilty of. Hsi felt the warm satisfaction of mental achievement, the only real pleasure he could know.

"You followed me."

"Of course, Once you had been located on Tradum, your capture was inevitable. Did you really think you could continue to elude the Cyclan?"

"The boy," said Dumarest. "You found him."

"A simple prediction. He was an innocent, a dreamer who tried to get close to you by the use of a name. Nerth-there is no such place, but the name was close enough to another to arouse your interest. He must have picked up a rumor, or overheard you talking, the details are unimportant. The drug sold you by the apothecary was useless. A harmless sedative. Your use of the raft to gain access to the field was ingenious."

Dumarest said, dryly, "I was in a hurry."

"With reason. You would have been caught within the hour. As it was, Captain Shwarb knew what to do."

Bribed, as every other captain had been bribed.

"You told the boy what ship I was on," said Dumarest harshly. "He came aboard after I did. And you paid Dinok and the engineer to lie about his planet of origin. Leon had to be killed, of course-you red swine!"

"He was expendable."

"You sent me to Shajok," said Dumarest bitterly. "Offered me a bait I couldn't refuse. I should have guessed."

"Every man has a weakness," said Hsi. "And no man can have the kind of luck forever which has saved you so often. The accident of chance and circumstance which, coupled with your quick thinking, has enabled you to escape the Cyclan until now."

"Why did you wait so long. You know where I was headed. You could have had a reception committee waiting at the field."

"Time was against us. Ships few and far between. And precautions were taken."

"Yes," said Dumarest. He looked at the woman. "What did they promise you, Iduna?"

"Earl?"

"At first I suspected Chaque. Your brother was too obvious and the Cyclan are never that. Chaque was a last-minute replacement. Then, when he was dying, he tried to tell me something about you. What happened? Did he see you using a radio in your tent one night? Spot something else when he was watching you undress? Threaten to betray you unless you saw things his way?"

"I don't understand." She looked at him, puzzled. "Earl, what are you saying? We were to be married. You know I wanted to be with you. You know that I love you."

"Like hell you do!"

She cried out as his knife flashed, cut, the material of her blouse falling apart to reveal high, full breasts held and molded by delicate fabric. He cut again and drew the severed band from around her waist. A thin belt, barely an inch wide. Metal showed at the cut ends.

"A signal beacon." Dumarest threw it to one side. "You knew help would be coming. That's why you insisted on waiting. But you're a bad actress, Iduna. You can't pretend what you don't feel. And you can't mask what you do feel. That's what made me certain."

Her recoiling when he had touched her, her expression when he had described their future, the deliberate crudity and detailed anticipation.

"And Chaque?"

"He was an animal," she snapped. "He wanted to use me."

"And you suffered him. You had no choice. Why, Iduna? Did the Cyclan promise to heal your brother? Was Jalch that important to you?"

"He was insane! A fool!"

A man who, incredibly, had been right, but Dumarest didn't mention that. Nor the kiss she had given him, the proof that she sometimes could act.

"What then?" he urged. "To give you the body of a man?" He caught the betraying flicker of her eyes. "So that was it. To rid you of the female flesh you wear. The body you hate. A pity, you could be beautiful."

"Beautiful!" She almost spat, her face ugly, distorted by anger. "A thing to be used by men for their own, selfish pleasure. God, why was I born a woman? I can do anything a man can do, and do it better than most. Yet because I have this-" her hands touched her naked body, "I am considered to be an amusing novelty. A toy. Can you guess what it is like to hate what you are? I would do anything, anything to be a man."

She was insane, he realized, like her brother obsessed. Yet, where he had been proven right she was demonstrably wrong. Her conviction of inferiority was a product of the paranoia which had turned her into a sexual cripple.

He said, cruelly, "Are you so sure they can deliver what they promised?"

"What?" Iduna glanced to where the cyber stood, tall, impassive, the acolyte watchful at his side. "They must! They will!"

"Why should they? Yon heard what Hsi said about Leon, the boy was expendable. And, now, so are you. You've done your job, guided him to me. From now on, you are unnecessary."

His voice was a hammer beating at the weak fabric of her mind, feeding the paranoia she shared with Jalch.

"Can't you see they have used you? Promised more than they can deliver? Played on your weakness? You will never be a man, Iduna. The life you hoped for is a dream."