Simak - Shakespeare's planet.PDF by Clifford D Simak

Author:Clifford D Simak [Simak, Clifford D]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

41

“In the city? Nicodemus told me about the city.”

“Not in the city,” said Horton, “and it isn’t any city.”

Nicodemus turned around, the hammer and chisel hanging in his hand. “I’m trying to chisel the panel out of the rock,” he-said. “Maybe if I can do that, I can get at its backside and work on it from there.”

“What you’ll do,” said Horton, “is cut the wires.”

“There wouldn’t be any wires,” said Elayne. “Nothing quite that crude.”

“Maybe, too,” said Nicodemus, “if I can free the panel, I may be able to pry the cover loose.”

“The cover? You said it was a force field.”

“I don’t know what it is,” said Nicodemus.

“I take it,” said Horton, “that there was no second box. The one that triggered the cover.”

“No,” said Elayne, “and that means someone tampered with the setup. Someone who didn’t want anyone to leave this planet.”

“You mean the planet’s closed?”

“I suppose that is it,” she said. “I suppose there would have been some sign set up at the other tunnels warning against using the selector which would take anyone to this planet, but if so, the signs are long since gone, or maybe they are there and we don’t know what to look for.”

“Even if you found them,” Nicodemus said, “you probably couldn’t read them.”

“That is right,” said Elayne.

Carnivore came stalking along the path. “I am back with fresh new meat,” he announced. “How are you doing here? Have you got it solved?”

“No,” said Nicodemus, turning back to work.

“It takes you long,” said Carnivore.

Nicodemus swung around again. “Get off my back!” he snapped “You’ve been riding me ever since I started. You and your friend Shakespeare messed around for years without doing anything, and now you expect us to get it all worked out within an hour or two.”

“But tools you have,” wailed Carnivore, “Tools and training. Shakespeare, he had none of this, nor did I. It would seem, with tools and training. . .“

“Carnivore,” said Horton, “we never told you we could do anything. Nicodemus said he’d try.

You have no guarantee. Stop acting as if we’re breaking a promise that we made you. There never was a promise.”

“Better, perhaps,” said Carnivore, “that we attempt some magic. Magic put together. My magic, your magic and her magic.” He pointed at Elayne.

“Magic wouldn’t work,” said Nicodemus, shortly. “If there is such a thing as magic.”

“Oh, there’s magic, all right,” said Carnivore. “That is not in question.” He appealed to Elayne.

“Would you not say so?”

“I have seen magic,” she said, “or what was reputed to be magic. Some of it appeared to work.

Not every time, of course.”

“Happenstance,” said Nicodemus.

“No, more than happenstance,” she said.

“Why don’t we all just clear out,” said Horton, “and give Nicodemus a chance to do what he is doing. Unless,” he said to Nicodemus, “you think you need some help.”

“I don’t,” said Nicodemus.

“Let’s go and see the city,” Elayne suggested. “I’m dying to see it.”

“We’ll stop at the camp and pick up a flashlight,” Horton said. He asked Nicodemus, “We have a flashlight, haven’t we?”

“Yes,” said Nicodemus.

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