The Man In The Maze (Jerry eBooks) by Robert Silverberg

Author:Robert Silverberg [Silverberg, Robert]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jerry eBooks
Published: 2015-11-25T05:00:00+00:00

20

He did not try to explain. But when he was finished he had a long sharp nose, lean, downcurving lips, and a witch’s chin. It was not an attractive face. But it was not the face of Charles Board-man either.

21

After a night of unsound sleep Rawlins prepared himself to go on to the advance camp in Zone E. Boardman would not be going with him, but they would be in direct contact at all times now. Boardman would see what Rawlins saw, and hear what Rawlins heard. And in a tiny voice Boardman would be able to convey instructions to him.

The morning was dry and wintry. They tested the communications circuits. Rawlins stepped out of the dome and walked ten paces, standing alone looking inward and watching the orange glow of daylight on the pockmarked porcelain-like walls before him. The walls were deep black against the lustrous green of the sky.

Boardman said, “Lift your right hand if you hear me, Ned.” Rawlins lifted his right hand. “Now speak to me.”

“Where did you say Richard Muller was born?”

“On Earth. I hear you very well.”

“Where on Earth?”

“The North American Directorate, somewhere.”

“I’m from there,” Rawlins said.

“Yes, I know. I think Muller is from the western part of the continent. I can’t be sure. I’ve spent only a very little time on Earth, Ned, and I can’t remember the geography. If it’s important, I can have the ship look it up.”

“Maybe later,” said Rawlins. “Should I get started now?”

“Listen to me, first. We’ve been very busy getting ourselves inside this place, and I don’t want you to forget that everything we’ve done up to this point has been a preliminary to our real purpose. We’re here for Muller, remember.”

“Would I forget?”

“We’ve been preoccupied with matters of personal survival. That can tend to blur your perspective: whether you yourself, individually, live or die. Now we take a larger view. What Richard Muller has, whether it’s a gift or a curse, is of high potential value and it’s your job to gain use of it, Ned. The fate of galaxies lies on what happens in the next few days between you and Muller. Eons will be reshaped. Billions yet unborn will have their lives altered for good or ill by the events at hand.”

“You sound absolutely serious, Charles.”

“I absolutely am. Sometimes there comes a moment when all the booming foolish inflated words mean something, and this is one of those moments. You’re standing at a crossroads in galactic history. And therefore, Ned, you’re going to go in there and lie and cheat and perjure and connive, and I expect that your conscience is going to be very sore for a while, and you’ll hate yourself extravagantly for it, and eventually you’ll realize that you’ve done a deed of heroism. The test of your communications equipment is now ended. Get back inside here and let’s ready you to march.”

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