The Fenris Device by Brian M. Stableford

Author:Brian M. Stableford [Stableford, Brian M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction
ISBN: 9780330254014
Goodreads: 2499499
Published: 1974-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

8

Ecdyon and I laboured to extend a ladder to the port while Maslax held his gun on Eve in the privacy of the iron maiden. I was grateful for the opportunity to exchange a few words with Ecdyon, but the exchange revealed absolutely nothing. I told him that this was no time to be holding out, and that if he'd told me any lies he'd better amend them right away. Bearing in mind the desperate state of our situation, I expected him to tell me the truth. Perhaps he did.

He claimed, in fact, that he already had.

"Now look," I said. "This just does not make sense. You claim you know nothing except what Stylaster has told you. You did not know anything about this ship other than the fact-if it is a fact-that it was left here a thousand years ago? But you also didn't know that the Gallacellans had ever used weapons?"

"What I have said is what I know," he persisted.

"What about what you told Maslax? Do you have any idea what Stylaster intended to do once we brought him here? Could you lift the ship, if it could be lifted?"

"That was true as well."

"You're a great help," I told him. "So who told Maslax about the Fenris device?"

"There is no such thing," he said. His voice was difficult to catch because of the noise of the storm.

"Well," I said, "let's not be too sure of that. Your ignorance, it seems, is limitless. Suppose there is a Fenris device. Just suppose. Who told who?"

"I do not know. But..."

"That's what I wanted to hear," I said, as he paused. "Come on. Tell me the but."

"I do not know whether it is true...."

"Tell me anyway."

"The hierarchy is not united on this matter. Stylaster has not the backing of many of the castes. We have no quarrels, you understand. We are a peaceful people. But there are people who might not want the Varsovien recovered. I do not know why. I have heard only rumours that this is so. There is a ship called the Cicindel..."

"The ship that wouldn't answer," I said, remembering. "In the system, heading toward the Saberwing after the mayday call."

"That is right. The Cicindel is rumoured to represent other interests in this affair. It is from another system. It might have been sent to... observe... the progress of Stylaster's plan. The Cicindel has been in the system for some time. It has not come to Iniomi. But it has landed once. On Pallant."

"Now there's a thing," I said. "The Gallacellans have their little games to play as well."

It dawned on me then how unfair it was of me to expect Ecdyon to know all things Gallacellan. Did I have encyclopaedic knowledge of human affairs? True, I could give a quick rundown of who was liable to play what dirty trick on who within the foreseeable future, but I was certainly not privy to the inside information-only to the rumours and the speculations. What would I tell an alien

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.