Lord Tedric 03 - The Black Knight of the Iron Sphere by E E (Doc) Smith

Author:E E (Doc) Smith
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Star Books
Published: 1979-09-30T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 9

The Scientists

Skandos, the histro-physicist, sat crosslegged on the summit of Prime's tallest mountain, wreathed in clouds and oblivious to the blanket of snow beneath him. His arms were folded stoically across his chest as he watched the incorporeal forms of several of his colleagues buzzing angrily around him.

‘What you did was not only wrong, it was foolish,’ pro-claimed one, Aalban, an archeobiologist noted for his nervous ways. ‘You have risked all our plans, the fate of the known universe, without consulting with anyone else.’

To converse it was not necessary for the Scientists to use the traditional tools of lips, tongue, and throat.

They spoke directly to one another, mind-to-mind, in a language more dependent upon mood and symbol than mere words.

‘I consulted with no one because it was not necessary.’ said Skandos in his own defence. ‘I brought Tedric to this universe and understand his thought processes better than anyone. The decision to act was mine to make, and I made it.’

‘And you erred.’ This was Jorken, the most vocal of Skandos' critics. A relatively young Scientist, probably not more than three or four thousand years old, Jorken excited easily. He suddenly assumed a material form and dropped to the snow beside Skandos. His wiry red hair stood stiffly out on his skull.

'Tedric is a barbarian. He must serve our demands.’

‘But he is also a man and he has a will of his own,’ Skandos answered patiently. ‘Had I failed to act when I did, we would have forsaken his crucial assistance forever.’

‘Then that is a risk that should have been taken,’ said Jorken. ‘Is his assistance worth the price of intervention?’

‘I believed that it was, and I have the figures to prove it. If you wish, I would be pleased to share my calculations with you.’ He was being sardonic. Skandos was well aware that none of them could possibly understand the methods of histro-physics. ‘Without Tedric, our own hopes are doomed to fail. The adversaries will emerge triumphant and the universe will suffer a slow death.’

‘One mere barbarian is so important?’ Jorken said derisively. ‘Surely, you cannot expect us to believe such an absurd claim.’

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