September 24, 2025 • 45 mins
Join us as we explore three captivating science fiction tales by the legendary Frank Herbert. In this episode, we dive into Missing Link, originally published in Astounding SF in 1959; Operation Haystack, also from Astounding SF in the same year; and Old Rambling House, which graced the pages of Galaxy SF in 1958. Immerse yourself in these imaginative narratives, brought to life by Phil Chenevert.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Missing link by Frank Herbert. This is a LibriVox recording.
All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
information or to volunteer, please visit librevox dot org. Recording
by Phil schinever Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Missing link by Frank Herbert.
(00:23):
This story was first published in Astounding Science Fiction February
nineteen fifty nine. We ought to scrape this planet clean
of every living thing on it, muttered Umbo Stetson, Section
Chief of Investigation and Adjustment. Stetson paced the landing control
(00:44):
bridge of his Scout cruiser. His footsteps grated on a
floor that was the rear wall of the bridge during flight,
but now the ship rested on its tail fins, all
four hundred glistening red and black meters of it. The
open ports of the bridge looked out on the jungle
roof of Guyana three, some one hundred fifty meters below.
(01:08):
A butter yellow sun hung above the horizon, perhaps an
hour from setting. Clean as an egg, he barked. He
paused in his round of the bridge, glared out the
starboard port, spat into the fire blackened circle that the
cruiser's jets had burned from the jungle. The I a
(01:29):
section chief, was dark haired, gangling, with large head and
big features. He stood in his customary slouch, a stance
not improved by sacklike patched blue fatigues. Although on this
present operation he rated the flag of a division admiral,
his fatigues carried no insignia. There was a general unkempt,
(01:54):
straggling look about him. Lewis Orne Junior I, a field
old man with a maiden diploma, stood at the opposite port,
studying the jungle horizon. Now and then he glanced at
the bridge control console, the chronometer above it, the big
translate map of their position tilted from the opposite bulkhead.
(02:19):
A heavy planet native. He felt vaguely uneasy on this
Guyana three, with its gravity of only seven eighths Terrance standard.
The surgical scars on his neck where the microcommunications equipment
had been inserted, itched maddeningly. He scratched, ha said stetson politicians.
(02:44):
A thin black insect with shell like wings flew in
orange port, settled in his close cropped red hair. Orn
pulled the insect gently from his hair, released it again
to try to land in his hair. He ducked. It
flew across the bridge out the port. Beside Stetson. There
(03:06):
was a thick, muscled, no fat look to Orn, but
something about his blocky, off center features suggested a clown.
I'm getting tired of waiting, he said, you're tired. Ha.
A breeze rippled the tops of the green ocean below them.
(03:27):
Here and there, red and purple flowers jutted from the verdure,
bending and nodding like an attentive audience. Look at that
blasted jungle, barked Stetson them and their stupid ardors. A
call bell tinkled on the bridge control console. The red
(03:48):
light above the speaker grid began blinking. Stetson shot an
angry glance at it. Yeah, hal okay, stett artists just
came through. We use plan C. Com GEO said, to
brief the field man and jet out of here. Did
you ask them about using another field man? Orn looked
(04:10):
up attentively. The speaker said yes. They said we have
to use Orn because of the records on the del Phinus. Well,
then will they give us more time to brief him? Negative,
it's crash priority. Com g O expects to blast the
planet anyway. Stetson glared at the grid, those fat headed,
(04:33):
lord bottomed, pig brained politicians. He took two deep breaths, subsided. Okay,
tell them, we'll comply one more thing, stett What now
I've got a confirmed contact? Instantly, Stetson was poised on
(04:54):
the balls of his feet. Alert. Where about ten kilometers
out section AA B dash six? How many? Hey, mob?
You want I should count them? No, what are they
doing making a bee line for us? You better get
a move on. Okay, keep us posted all right. Stetson
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looked across at his junior field man, Orn, if you
decide you want out of this assignment, you just say
the word. I'll back you to the hilt. Why should
I want out of my first field assignment? Listen and
find out. Stetson crossed to a tilt locker behind the
(05:39):
big translate map. Haul ont a white coverall uniform with
gold insignia. Tossed it to Orn get into these while
I brief you on the map. But this is an
R and R, you began, Orn. Get that uniform on
your ugly frame, Yes, sir, Admiral Stetson, sir, right away, sir,
(06:03):
But I thought I was through with old rediscovery and
re education. When you drafted me off of Hummel into
the IA, sir, he began changing from the IA blue
to the R and R white. Almost as an afterthought,
he said, Sir. A wolfish grin cracked Stetson's big features.
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I'm so happy you have the proper attitude of subservience
toward authority. Orn zipped up the coverall uniform. Oh yes, sir,
sir okay Orn, pay attention. Stetson gestured at the map
with its green superimposed grid squares. Here we are. Here's
(06:47):
that city we flew over on our way down. You
head forward as soon as we drop you. The place
is big enough that if you hold a course roughly
northeast you can't miss it. We're again. The call bell rang.
What is it this time, hal barked Stetson. They've changed
to plant H Stett new orders cut. Five days. That's
(07:12):
all they can give us. Come, Geo said he can't
keep the information out of High Commissioner Bullown's hands any
longer than that. It's five days for sure. Then is
this the usual? R and are foul up? Asked Arn.
Stetson nodded, thanks to Bologne and company. We're just one
(07:35):
jump ahead of catastrophe, but they still pump the bull
wash into the Hurrah and raw boys back. A dear
old Unigalacta, you're making light of my revered alma mater,
said Arn. He struck a pose. We must reunite the
lost planets with our centers of culture and industry and
(07:56):
take up the glorious onward march of mankind that was
so brutally can it, snapped Stetson. We both know we're
going to rediscover one planet to many one day, rim
war all over again. But this is a different breed
of fish. It's not repeat, not a rediscovery orange sobered alien. Yes,
(08:26):
a l I E N A never before contacted culture.
That language you were force fed on the way over,
that's an alien language. It's not complete. All we have
off the minis, and we excluded data on the natives
because we've been hoping to dump this project, and nobody
(08:47):
the wiser. Holy Mazoo twenty six days ago and I
a search ship came through here, had a routine mini
sneaker look at the place. When he combed in his
net of sneakers to check the tapes and films lo
and behold he had a little stranger one of theirs. No,
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it was a many off the Delphinus. Rediscovery the Delphinis
has been unreported for eighteen standard months. Did it crack
up here? We don't know. If it did. We haven't
been able to spot it. She was supposed to be
way off in the Belladine system by now, but we've
(09:33):
something else on our minds. It's the one item that
makes me want to blot out this place and run
home with my tail between my legs. We've a again.
The call bell chimed. Now what, roared Stetson into the speaker.
I've got a many over that mob, stett they're talking
(09:54):
about us. It's a definite rating party. What armament two
gloomy in that jungle? To be sure, the infra beams
out on this many looks like hard pellet rifles of
some kind. Might even be off the Delphinus. Can't you
get any closer? Wouldn't do any good. No light down there,
(10:15):
and they're moving up fast. Keep an eye on them,
but don't ignore the other sectors, said Stetson, you think
I was born yesterday? Barked the voice from the grid.
The contact broke off with an angry sound. One thing
I like about the IA, said Stetson. It collects such
(10:37):
even tempered types. He looked at the white uniform on
Orn wiped a hand across his mouth, as though he
tasted something dirty. Why am I wearing this thing? Asked Orn.
Dis Guys, but there's no mustache. Stetson smiled without humor.
(10:59):
That's one's answers to those fat, keistered politicians. We're setting
up our own search system to find the planets before
they do. We've managed to put spies and key places
at R and R any touchy planets. Our spies report,
we divert the files. Then what then we look into
(11:22):
them with bright boys like you, disguised as are in
our field men, goody goody. And what happens if R
and R stumbles on to me while I'm down there
playing patty cake? We disown you. But you said an
IA ship found this joint? It did. And then one
(11:45):
of our spies in R and R intercepted a routine
request for an agent instructor to be assigned here with
full equipment. Request signed by a first contact officer name
of distance of the Delphinus. But the debt yeah, missing.
(12:05):
The request was a forgery. Now you see why I'm
mostly for rubbing out this place. Who would dare forge
such a thing unless he knew for sure that the
original FC officer was missing or dead. What the jumped
up missoo are we doing here? Steck asked Orn. Alien
(12:28):
calls for a full contact team with all of the
it calls for one planet buster bombbuster in five days
unless you give them a white bill in the meantime,
High Commissioner balloone, we'll have word of this planet by then.
If Guyana three still exists in five days, you can't
(12:48):
imagine the fun the politicians will have with it. MoMA Mia,
we want this planet cleared for contact or dead before then.
I don't like this. You don't like it, look, said Arn.
There must be another way. Why when we teamed up
with the Aleronoids we gained five hundred years in the
(13:11):
physical sciences alone, Not to mention the the Aleronoids didn't
knock over one of our survey ships. First, what if
the Delphinus just crashed here and the locals picked up
the pieces. That's what you're going in to find out, Arn,
But answer me this, if they do have the Delphinus.
(13:34):
How long before a tool using race could be a
threat to the galaxy. I saw that city they built Stett.
They could be dug in within six months and there'd
be no Yeah. Arn shook his head. But think of it,
two civilizations that matured along different lines. Think of all
(13:57):
the different ways we'd approached the same problems. The lever
that it give us for you sound like a Uni
Galacty lecture. Are you through marching arm in arm into
the misty future? Arn took a deep breath. Why is
a freshman like b being tossed into this dish? You'd
(14:17):
still be on the Delphinus master lists as an R
and R field man. That's important if you're masquerading. Am
I the only one I know? I'm a recent convert,
but you went out. I didn't say that. I just
want to know why I'm because the Big Domes fed
a set of requirements into one of their iron monsters.
(14:40):
Your card popped out. They were looking for somebody capable, dependable,
and expendable. Hey, that's why I'm down here briefing you
instead of sitting back on a flagship. I got you
into the IA. Now you listen carefully. If if you
(15:00):
push the panic button on this one without cause, I
will personally flay you alive. We both know the advantages
of an alien contact. But if you get into a
hotspot and call for help, I'll dive this cruiser into
that city to get you out. Arn swallowed. Thanks, Stett.
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I'm We're going to take up a tight orbit. Out
beyond us will be five transports full of IA marines
and a Class nine monitor with one planetbuster. You're calling
the shots, God help you. First, we want to know
if they have the Delphinus, and if so, where it is. Next,
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we want to know just how warlike these goons are.
Can we control them? If they're bloodthirsty? What's their potential
in five days? Not a second more? What do we
know about them? Not much. They looked something like an
ancient Terran chimpanzee, only with blue fur faces, hairless, pink
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skinned stetson snapped a switch, the translant map became a
screen with a figure frozen on it like that. This
is life size. Looks like the missing link they're always
hunting for, said Arron. Yeah, but you've got a different
kind of a missing link. Vertical slit pupils in their eyes,
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said Arron. He studied the figure. It had been caught
from the front by a mini sneaker camera. About five
feet tall, The stance was slightly bent forward, long arms,
two vertical nose slits, a flat, lipless mouth receding chin,
four fingered hands. It wore a wide belt from which
(16:51):
dangled neat pouches and what looked like tools, although their
use was obscure. There appeared to be the tip of
a tail true reading from behind one of the squat
legs behind the creature towered the ferry spires of the
city they'd observed from the air. Tails, asked Orn. Yeah, there, Arboreal.
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Not a road on the whole planet that we can find,
but there are a lot of vine lanes through the jungles.
Setsen's face hardened. Match that with a city as advanced
as that one slave culture? Hmm? Probably? How many cities
have they? We found two, this one and another on
(17:33):
the other side of the planet. But the other one's
a ruin, a ruin? Why you tell us lots of
mysteries here? What's the planet like? Mostly jungle? There are
polar oceans, lakes and rivers. One low mountain chain follows
the equatorial belt about two thirds around the planet, but
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only two cities, are you sure, reason and the least
so it'd be pretty hard to miss something the size
of that thing we flew over. It must be fifty
kilometers long and at least ten wide. Swarming with these
creatures too. We've got a zone count estimate that places
the city's population at over thirty million. Who we those
(18:19):
are tall buildings too. We don't know much about this place, Orn,
and unless you bring them into the fold, there'll be
nothing but ashes for our archaeologists to pick over. Seems
a dirty shame, I agree, But the call bell jangled.
Stetson's voice sounded tired. Yeah, hell, that mob is only
(18:43):
about five kilometers outstet We've got Orn's gear outside in
the disguised air sled. We'll be right down. Why a
disguised sled, asked Oran. If they think it's a ground buggy,
they might get careless When you most need a vantage.
We could always scoop you out of the air. You
know what are my chances on this one, stett Stetson shrugged.
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I'm afraid they're slim. These goons probably have the delphiness
and they want you just long enough to get your
equipment and everything you know. Rough as that eh, according
to our best guess. If you're not out in five days,
we blast. Orn cleared his throat. Want out, asked Stetson.
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No use the back door rule, son, always leave yourself
away out. Now, let's check that equipment the surgeon's put
in your neck. Stetson put a hand to his throat.
His mouth remained closed, but there was a surf hissing
voice in Orange's ear. You're reared me sure I can't, no,
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hissed the voice. Touch them my contact, Keep your mouth closed,
just use your speaking muscles without speaking. Orn obeyed, okay,
said Stetson. You come in loud and clear. I ought to.
I'm right on top of you. They'll be a relayship
over you all the time, said Stetson. Now, when you're
(20:19):
not touching that mic contact, this wrig will still feed
us which you say, and everything that goes on around
you too. We'll monitor everything. Got that, yes, Stetson held
out his right hand. Good luck. I mean that about
diving in for you, just say the word. I know
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the word, too, said Oran. Help Gray mud floor and
gloomy aisles between monstrous bluish tree trunks. That was the jungle.
Only the barest, weak glimmering of sunlight penetrated to the mud.
The disguised sled it's paragraph, It turned off, lurched, and
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skidded around buttress roots. Its headlights swung in wild arcs
across the trunks and down to the mud. Aerial creepers,
great looping vines of them, swung down from the towering
forest ceiling. A steady drip of condensation splattered the windshiel,
forcing Orn to use the wipers in the bucket seat
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of the sledge. Cab Orn fought the controls. He was
plagued by the vague, slow motion, floating sensation that a
heavy planet native always feels in lighter gravity. It gave
him an unhappy stomach. Things skipped through the air around
the lurching vehicle, flitting and darting. Things. Insects came in
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twin cones siphoned toward the headlights. There was an endless chittering,
whistling talking in the gloom beyond the lights. Stetson's voice
hissed suddenly through the surgically implanted speaker. How's it look alien?
Any sign of that mob negative. Okay, we're taking off.
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Behind Orn, there came a deep, rumbling roar that receded
as the Scout Cruiser climbed its jets. All other sounds
hung suspended in after silence, then resumed, the strongest first,
and then the weakest. A heavy object suddenly arked through
the headlights, swinging on a vine. It disappeared behind a tree.
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Another another ghostly shadows with vine pendulums on both sides.
Something banged down heavily onto the hood of the sled.
Orn breaked to a creaking stop that shifted the load
behind him found himself staring through the windshield at a
native of Diana three. The native crouched on the hood
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a Mark twenty exploding pellet rifle in his right hand
directed at Oran's head. In the abrupt shock of meeting,
Orn recognized the weapon, standard issue to the Marine guards
on all R and R survey ships. The native appeared
the twin of the one Orn had seen on the
translight screen. The four fingered hand looked extremely capable around
(23:24):
the stock of the Mark twenty. Slowly, Orn put a
hand to his throat, pressed the contact button. He moved
his speaking muscles just made contact with the mob. One
on the hood now has one of our Mark twenty
rifles aimed at my head. The surf hissing of Stetson's
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voice came through the hidden speaker. Want us to come
back negative stand by, He looks cautious rather than hostile.
Orn held up his right hand, palm out. He had
a second thought. Held up his left hand too, universal
symbol of peaceful intentions, empty hands, the gun muzzle lowered slightly.
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Orn called into his mind the language that had been
hypno forced into him. Oh kiro no that means the
people ah, and he had the heavy frigative greeting sound. Farroggi, ragazzi,
he said. The native shifted to the left, answered in pure,
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unaccented high galacates. Who were you? Orn fought down sudden panic.
The lipless mouth had looked so odd, forming the familiar words.
Stetson's voice hissed, is that native speaking galacatees? Orn touched
his throat. You heard him? He dropped his hand, said,
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I am Lewis Orn of Rediscovery and re Education. I
was sent here at the request of the first contact
officer on the Delphinus Rediscovery. Where is your ship? Demanded
the gayanan it put me down and left why it
was behind schedule for another appointment. Out of the corners
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of his eyes, Arn saw more shadows dropping to the
mud around him. The sledge shifted as someone climb onto
the load behind the cab. Then someone scuttled agilely for
a moment. The native climbed down to the CAB's side
step opened the door. The rifle was held at the
ready Again. The lipless mouth formed Galacty's words, what do
(25:48):
you carry in this vehicle? The equipment every R and
R field man uses to help the people of a
rediscovered planet to prove themselves. Horne nodded at the rifle.
Would you mind pointing that weapon some other direction? It
makes me nervous. The gun muzzle remained unwaveringly on Orne's middle.
(26:13):
The Native's mouth opened, revealing long canines. Do we not
look strange to you? I take it there's been a
heavy mutational variation in the humanoid norm on this planet,
said Orn. What is it hard radiation? No answer, It
doesn't really make any difference, of course, said Orn. I'm
(26:35):
here to help you. I am Tanube high Path, chief
of the Grazzi, said the native. I decide who is
to help. Orn swallowed. Where do you go? Demanded Tanube?
I was hoping to go to your city? Is it permitted?
A long pause while the vertical slit pupils of Tanube's
(26:59):
eye is expanded and contracted. It is permitted. Stetson's voice
came through the hidden speaker. All bets off, We're coming
in after you. That marked twenty is the final straw.
It means they have the Delphinus for sure. Orn touched
his throat. No, give me a little more time. Why
(27:24):
I have a hunch about these creatures. What is it?
No time now? Trust me. Another long pause, in which
Orn and Toanube continue to study each other presently, Stenton said, okay,
go ahead as planned, but find out where the delphinus is.
(27:46):
If we get that back, we pull their teeth. Why
do you keep touching your throat? Demanded Toanube. I'm nervous,
said Orn. Guns always make me nervous. The muzzle loweredly.
Shall we continue on to your city? Asked Orn. He
wet his lips with his tongue. The cab light on
(28:09):
Tanub's face was giving the guyanon an eerie, sinister look.
We can go soon, said Tanub. Will you join me
inside here? Asked Orn. There is a passenger seat right
behind me. Tanub's eyes moved catlike right left. Yes, he turned,
(28:31):
barked an order into the jungle gloom, then climbed in
behind Orn. Where do we go? Asked Orn. The great
sun will be down soon, said Tanub. We can continue
as soon as chiron akruso rises. Chie ranak russo, our satellite,
our moon, said Tanub. It's a beautiful word, said Orn.
(28:55):
Cheiron ak russo in our tongue. It means the limb
of victory, said Tanub. By its light, we will continue.
Orn turned looked back at Tanub. Do you mean to
tell me that you can see by what light gets
down here through those trees? Can you not see? Asked Tanub?
(29:20):
Not without the headlights, Our eyes differ, said Tanub. He
bent toward Orn, peered the vertical slit pupils of his
eyes expanded, contracted. You are the same as the others,
oh on the dolphiness pause. Yes. Presently, a greater gloom
(29:46):
came over the jungle, bringing a sudden stillness to the wildlife.
There was a chittering commotion from the natives and the
trees around the slid. Tanub shifted behind Orn. We may
go now, said slowly, to stay behind my scouts right,
(30:07):
ornees The sled forward around an obstructing route silence. While
they crawled ahead around them, shapes flung themselves from vine
to vine. I admired your city from the air, said Orn.
It is very beautiful, yes, said Tanub. Why did you
(30:27):
land so far from it? We didn't want to come
down where we might destroy anything. There is nothing to
destroy in the jungle, said Tanub. Why do you have
such a big city, asked Orn silence. I said, why
do you? You are ignorant of our ways, said Tanub.
(30:51):
Therefore I forgive you. The city is for our race.
We must breed and be born in sunlight. Once, long ago,
we used crude platforms on the tops of the trees.
Now only the wild ones do this. Stanton's voice hissed
(31:14):
in Orn's ear. Easy on the sex line, boy, that's
always touchy. These creatures are oviparous. Sex glands are apparently
hidden in that long fur behind where their chins are
to be. Who controls the breeding sites controls our world,
said Tanub. Once there was another city, we destroyed it
(31:40):
Are there many wild ones, asked Orn. Fewer each year,
said Tanub. There's how they get their slaves, hissed Stinton.
You speak excellent galuckes, said Orn. The high path chief
commanded the best teacher, said Tanub, do you too know
(32:03):
many things? Orn? That's why I was sent here, said Orn.
Are there many planets to teach? Said Tanub? Very many,
said Orn. Your city, I saw very tall buildings of
what do you build them? In your tongue glass? Said Tanub.
(32:26):
The engineers of the Delphinus said it was impossible, as
you saw. They are wrong a glass blowing culture, hissed Stetson.
That had explained a lot of things. Slowly, the disguised
sled crept through the jungle. Once a scout swooped down
(32:47):
into the headlights waved. Orn stopped on Tanub's order, and
they waited almost ten minutes before proceeding. Wild ones, asked Orn, Perhaps,
said Tanub. A glowing of many lights grew visible through
the giant tree trunks. It grew brighter as the sled
(33:08):
crept through the last of the jungle emerged in clear
land at the edge of the city. Rn stared upward
in awe. The city fluted and spiraled into the moonlit sky.
It was a fragile, appearing lacery of bridges, winking dots
of light. The bridges wove back and forth from building
(33:31):
to building until the entire visible network appeared one gigantic,
dew glittering web. All that with glass, murmured Arn, what's happening,
hissed Stetson. Orn touched his throat contact. We're just into
the city clearing, proceeding toward the nearest building. This is
(33:54):
far enough, said Tanub. Arn stopped the sled. In the moonlight,
he could see armed gayanins all around. The buttressed pedestal
of one of the buildings loomed directly ahead. It looked
taller than had the Scout Cruiser in its jungle landing circle.
Tanube leaned close to Orn's shoulder. We have not deceived
(34:19):
you have we Arn? Humph? What do you mean you
have recognized that we are not mutated members of your race?
Orn swallowed into his ears. Came Stetson's voice. Better admit it,
that's true, said Arn. I like you, Arn, said Tanub,
(34:44):
you shall be one of my slaves. You will teach
me many things. How did you capture the Dauphinus, asked Arn.
You know that too, You have one of their rifles,
said Arn, Your race is no match for us, Arn
in cunning, in strength, in the prowess of the mind.
(35:07):
Your ship landed to repair its tubes, very inferior ceramics
in those tubes. Arn turned looked at Tanube in the
dim glow of the cab light. Have you heard about
the I A? Tanub? I A? What is that? There
was a weary tenseness in the Guianian's figure. His mouth
(35:31):
opened to reveal the long canines. You took the Delphinus
by treasury, asked Orn. They were simple fools, said Tanub.
We are smaller. Thus they thought us weaker. The Mark
twenty's muzzle came around to center on Orne's stomach. You
(35:51):
have not answered my question. What is the I A?
I am of the I A? Said Orn? Where have
you hidden the Delphinus in the place that suits us best?
Said Tonub. In all our history there has never been
a better place. What do you plan to do with it?
(36:13):
Asked Orn. Within a year we will have a copy
with our own improvements. After that, you intend to start
a war, asked Orn. In the jungle, the strong slay
the weak, until only the strong remain, said Tanub, and
then the strong prey upon each other, asked Arn. That
(36:37):
is a quibble for women, said Tanub. It's too bad
you feel that way, said Orn. When two culturers meet
like this, they tend to help each other. What have
you done with the crew of the Delphinus. They are slaves,
said Tanub. Those who still live. Some resisted, others objected
(36:57):
to teaching us what we want to know. He waved
the gun muscle. You will not be that foolish, will you, Arn?
No need to be, said Arn, I've another little lesson
to teach you. I already know where you've hidden thee Delphinus.
Go boy, hissed Stetson. Where is it impossible, barked Tanub.
(37:22):
It's on your moon, said Arn. Dark side. It's on
a mountain, on the dark side of your moon. Tanoub's
eyes dilated. Contracted. You read minds. The I A has
no need to read minds, said Arn. We rely on
(37:42):
superior mental progress. The Marines are on their way, hissed Stetson.
We're coming in to get you. I'm going to want
to know how you guessed that one. You are a
weak fool like the others, gritted Toanub. It's too bad
you formed your opinion of us by observing only the
(38:04):
low grades of the R and R, said Arn. Easy boy,
hissed Stetson. Don't pick a fight with him now. Remember
his race is arboreal. He's probably as strong as an ape.
I could kill you where you sit, grated Tanube. You write,
(38:26):
finish for your entire planet if you do, said Arn.
I'm not alone. There are others listening to every word
we say. There's a ship overhead that could split open
your planet with one bomb, wash it with molten rock.
It did run like the glass you use for your buildings.
(38:49):
You are lying. We'll make an offer, said Arn. We
don't really want to exterminate you. We'll give you limited
membership in the Galactic Vetterer until you prove you're no
menace to us. Keep talking, hissed Stetson. Keep him interested.
You dare insult me, growled Toanub. You had better believe me,
(39:14):
said orn We. Stetson's voice interrupted him. Got it, Oran,
They caught the Delphinus on the ground right where you
said it'd be. Blew the tubes off it. Marine's now
mopping up. It's like this, said Arron. We already have
recaptured the Delphinus. Tanube's eyes went instinctively skyward. Except for
(39:38):
the captured armament you still hold. You obviously don't have
the weapons to meet us, continued Arn. Otherwise you wouldn't
be carrying that rifle off the Delphinus. If you speak
the truth, then we shall die, bravely, said Tanub. No
need for you to die, said Arn. Better to die
(40:00):
and be slaves, said Tanub. We don't need slaves, said Orn.
We I cannot take the chance that you are lying,
said Tanub. I must kill you now. Orn's foot rested
on the air sled control pedal. He depressed it instantly.
The sledge shot skyward, heavy gees, pressing them down into
(40:21):
the seats. The gun in Tanub's hands was slapped into
his lap. He struggled to raise it to Orn. The
weight was still only about twice that of his home
planet of Chargon. He reached over, took the rifle, found
the safety belts, bound Tanub with them. Then he eased
off the acceleration. We don't need slaves, said Orn. We
(40:46):
have machines to do our work. We'll send experts in here.
Teach you people how to exploit your planet, how to
build good transportation facilities, show you how to mine your minerals,
how to and what do we do in return, whispered Tanub.
You could start by teaching us how to make your superior, Glass,
(41:08):
said Arn. I certainly hope you see things our way.
We really don't want to have to come down here
and clean you out. It'd be a shame to have
to blast that city into little pieces. Tanub wilted presently.
He said, send me back. I will discuss this with
(41:30):
our council. He stared at Orn you, I A's are
too strong. We did not know. In the wardroom of
Stetson's Scout cruiser, the lights were low, the leather chairs comfortable,
the green beige table set with a decanter of Hochar
brandy and two glasses. Orn lifted his glass, sipped the liquor,
(41:55):
smacked his lips for a while there, I thought I'd
never tasting anything like this again. Stetson took his own glass.
Calm Geo heard the whole thing over the general monitor net.
He said, do you know you've been brevetted to senior
field man. Ah, they've already recognized my sterling Worth, said Arn.
(42:18):
The wolfish grin took over Stetson's big features. The senior
field men last about half as long as the juniors,
he said. Mortality's terrific. I might have known, said Oran.
He took another sip of the brandy Stetson flicked on
the switch of a recorder beside him. Okay, you can
go ahead anytime. Where do you want me to start first?
(42:43):
How do you spot right away where they'd hidden the delphinus?
Easy ton Oabe's word for his people was grassy. Most
races call themselves something, meaning the people, but in his
tongue that's ochierro Rozzi wasn't on the translated list. I
(43:04):
started working on it. The most likely answer was that
it had been adopted from another language and meant enemy,
and that told you where the Delphinus was. No, but
it fitted my hunch about these guy Inians. I kind
of felt from the first minute of meeting them that
they had a culture like the Indians of ancient Chha.
(43:28):
Why they came in like a primitive rating party. The
leader dropped right onto the hood of my sled an
actor of bravery, no less counting coop you see, I
guess so. Then he said he was high path chief.
That wasn't on the language list either, But it was
(43:50):
easy raider chief. There's a word in almost every language
in history that means raider and derives from a word
for road path or highway highwaymen, said Stetson. Raid itself
said on an ancient terran language, corruption of road. Yeah, yeah,
(44:12):
but where'd all this translation? Griff put, don't be impatient.
Glass blowing culture meant they were just out of the
primitive stage that we could control. Next, he said, their
moon was chi ranak russo, translated as the limb of victory.
After that, it just fell into place. How the vertical
(44:37):
slit pupils of their eyes. Doesn't that mean anything to you? Maybe?
What's it mean to you? Night hunting predator accustomed to
dropping upon its victims from above. No other type of
creature ever has had the vertical slit. And Tanub sat
himself that the Delphinus was hidden in the best place
(45:00):
in all their history history. That'd be a high place dark. Likewise,
ergo a high place on the dark side of their moon.
I'm a pie eye gripus, whispered Stetson. On grind said
you probably are sir end of missing link.
Missing link by Frank Herbert. This is a LibriVox recording.
All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
information or to volunteer, please visit librevox dot org. Recording
by Phil schinever Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Missing link by Frank Herbert.
(00:23):
This story was first published in Astounding Science Fiction February
nineteen fifty nine. We ought to scrape this planet clean
of every living thing on it, muttered Umbo Stetson, Section
Chief of Investigation and Adjustment. Stetson paced the landing control
(00:44):
bridge of his Scout cruiser. His footsteps grated on a
floor that was the rear wall of the bridge during flight,
but now the ship rested on its tail fins, all
four hundred glistening red and black meters of it. The
open ports of the bridge looked out on the jungle
roof of Guyana three, some one hundred fifty meters below.
(01:08):
A butter yellow sun hung above the horizon, perhaps an
hour from setting. Clean as an egg, he barked. He
paused in his round of the bridge, glared out the
starboard port, spat into the fire blackened circle that the
cruiser's jets had burned from the jungle. The I a
(01:29):
section chief, was dark haired, gangling, with large head and
big features. He stood in his customary slouch, a stance
not improved by sacklike patched blue fatigues. Although on this
present operation he rated the flag of a division admiral,
his fatigues carried no insignia. There was a general unkempt,
(01:54):
straggling look about him. Lewis Orne Junior I, a field
old man with a maiden diploma, stood at the opposite port,
studying the jungle horizon. Now and then he glanced at
the bridge control console, the chronometer above it, the big
translate map of their position tilted from the opposite bulkhead.
(02:19):
A heavy planet native. He felt vaguely uneasy on this
Guyana three, with its gravity of only seven eighths Terrance standard.
The surgical scars on his neck where the microcommunications equipment
had been inserted, itched maddeningly. He scratched, ha said stetson politicians.
(02:44):
A thin black insect with shell like wings flew in
orange port, settled in his close cropped red hair. Orn
pulled the insect gently from his hair, released it again
to try to land in his hair. He ducked. It
flew across the bridge out the port. Beside Stetson. There
(03:06):
was a thick, muscled, no fat look to Orn, but
something about his blocky, off center features suggested a clown.
I'm getting tired of waiting, he said, you're tired. Ha.
A breeze rippled the tops of the green ocean below them.
(03:27):
Here and there, red and purple flowers jutted from the verdure,
bending and nodding like an attentive audience. Look at that
blasted jungle, barked Stetson them and their stupid ardors. A
call bell tinkled on the bridge control console. The red
(03:48):
light above the speaker grid began blinking. Stetson shot an
angry glance at it. Yeah, hal okay, stett artists just
came through. We use plan C. Com GEO said, to
brief the field man and jet out of here. Did
you ask them about using another field man? Orn looked
(04:10):
up attentively. The speaker said yes. They said we have
to use Orn because of the records on the del Phinus. Well,
then will they give us more time to brief him? Negative,
it's crash priority. Com g O expects to blast the
planet anyway. Stetson glared at the grid, those fat headed,
(04:33):
lord bottomed, pig brained politicians. He took two deep breaths, subsided. Okay,
tell them, we'll comply one more thing, stett What now
I've got a confirmed contact? Instantly, Stetson was poised on
(04:54):
the balls of his feet. Alert. Where about ten kilometers
out section AA B dash six? How many? Hey, mob?
You want I should count them? No, what are they
doing making a bee line for us? You better get
a move on. Okay, keep us posted all right. Stetson
(05:19):
looked across at his junior field man, Orn, if you
decide you want out of this assignment, you just say
the word. I'll back you to the hilt. Why should
I want out of my first field assignment? Listen and
find out. Stetson crossed to a tilt locker behind the
(05:39):
big translate map. Haul ont a white coverall uniform with
gold insignia. Tossed it to Orn get into these while
I brief you on the map. But this is an
R and R, you began, Orn. Get that uniform on
your ugly frame, Yes, sir, Admiral Stetson, sir, right away, sir,
(06:03):
But I thought I was through with old rediscovery and
re education. When you drafted me off of Hummel into
the IA, sir, he began changing from the IA blue
to the R and R white. Almost as an afterthought,
he said, Sir. A wolfish grin cracked Stetson's big features.
(06:26):
I'm so happy you have the proper attitude of subservience
toward authority. Orn zipped up the coverall uniform. Oh yes, sir,
sir okay Orn, pay attention. Stetson gestured at the map
with its green superimposed grid squares. Here we are. Here's
(06:47):
that city we flew over on our way down. You
head forward as soon as we drop you. The place
is big enough that if you hold a course roughly
northeast you can't miss it. We're again. The call bell rang.
What is it this time, hal barked Stetson. They've changed
to plant H Stett new orders cut. Five days. That's
(07:12):
all they can give us. Come, Geo said he can't
keep the information out of High Commissioner Bullown's hands any
longer than that. It's five days for sure. Then is
this the usual? R and are foul up? Asked Arn.
Stetson nodded, thanks to Bologne and company. We're just one
(07:35):
jump ahead of catastrophe, but they still pump the bull
wash into the Hurrah and raw boys back. A dear
old Unigalacta, you're making light of my revered alma mater,
said Arn. He struck a pose. We must reunite the
lost planets with our centers of culture and industry and
(07:56):
take up the glorious onward march of mankind that was
so brutally can it, snapped Stetson. We both know we're
going to rediscover one planet to many one day, rim
war all over again. But this is a different breed
of fish. It's not repeat, not a rediscovery orange sobered alien. Yes,
(08:26):
a l I E N A never before contacted culture.
That language you were force fed on the way over,
that's an alien language. It's not complete. All we have
off the minis, and we excluded data on the natives
because we've been hoping to dump this project, and nobody
(08:47):
the wiser. Holy Mazoo twenty six days ago and I
a search ship came through here, had a routine mini
sneaker look at the place. When he combed in his
net of sneakers to check the tapes and films lo
and behold he had a little stranger one of theirs. No,
(09:12):
it was a many off the Delphinus. Rediscovery the Delphinis
has been unreported for eighteen standard months. Did it crack
up here? We don't know. If it did. We haven't
been able to spot it. She was supposed to be
way off in the Belladine system by now, but we've
(09:33):
something else on our minds. It's the one item that
makes me want to blot out this place and run
home with my tail between my legs. We've a again.
The call bell chimed. Now what, roared Stetson into the speaker.
I've got a many over that mob, stett they're talking
(09:54):
about us. It's a definite rating party. What armament two
gloomy in that jungle? To be sure, the infra beams
out on this many looks like hard pellet rifles of
some kind. Might even be off the Delphinus. Can't you
get any closer? Wouldn't do any good. No light down there,
(10:15):
and they're moving up fast. Keep an eye on them,
but don't ignore the other sectors, said Stetson, you think
I was born yesterday? Barked the voice from the grid.
The contact broke off with an angry sound. One thing
I like about the IA, said Stetson. It collects such
(10:37):
even tempered types. He looked at the white uniform on
Orn wiped a hand across his mouth, as though he
tasted something dirty. Why am I wearing this thing? Asked Orn.
Dis Guys, but there's no mustache. Stetson smiled without humor.
(10:59):
That's one's answers to those fat, keistered politicians. We're setting
up our own search system to find the planets before
they do. We've managed to put spies and key places
at R and R any touchy planets. Our spies report,
we divert the files. Then what then we look into
(11:22):
them with bright boys like you, disguised as are in
our field men, goody goody. And what happens if R
and R stumbles on to me while I'm down there
playing patty cake? We disown you. But you said an
IA ship found this joint? It did. And then one
(11:45):
of our spies in R and R intercepted a routine
request for an agent instructor to be assigned here with
full equipment. Request signed by a first contact officer name
of distance of the Delphinus. But the debt yeah, missing.
(12:05):
The request was a forgery. Now you see why I'm
mostly for rubbing out this place. Who would dare forge
such a thing unless he knew for sure that the
original FC officer was missing or dead. What the jumped
up missoo are we doing here? Steck asked Orn. Alien
(12:28):
calls for a full contact team with all of the
it calls for one planet buster bombbuster in five days
unless you give them a white bill in the meantime,
High Commissioner balloone, we'll have word of this planet by then.
If Guyana three still exists in five days, you can't
(12:48):
imagine the fun the politicians will have with it. MoMA Mia,
we want this planet cleared for contact or dead before then.
I don't like this. You don't like it, look, said Arn.
There must be another way. Why when we teamed up
with the Aleronoids we gained five hundred years in the
(13:11):
physical sciences alone, Not to mention the the Aleronoids didn't
knock over one of our survey ships. First, what if
the Delphinus just crashed here and the locals picked up
the pieces. That's what you're going in to find out, Arn,
But answer me this, if they do have the Delphinus.
(13:34):
How long before a tool using race could be a
threat to the galaxy. I saw that city they built Stett.
They could be dug in within six months and there'd
be no Yeah. Arn shook his head. But think of it,
two civilizations that matured along different lines. Think of all
(13:57):
the different ways we'd approached the same problems. The lever
that it give us for you sound like a Uni
Galacty lecture. Are you through marching arm in arm into
the misty future? Arn took a deep breath. Why is
a freshman like b being tossed into this dish? You'd
(14:17):
still be on the Delphinus master lists as an R
and R field man. That's important if you're masquerading. Am
I the only one I know? I'm a recent convert,
but you went out. I didn't say that. I just
want to know why I'm because the Big Domes fed
a set of requirements into one of their iron monsters.
(14:40):
Your card popped out. They were looking for somebody capable, dependable,
and expendable. Hey, that's why I'm down here briefing you
instead of sitting back on a flagship. I got you
into the IA. Now you listen carefully. If if you
(15:00):
push the panic button on this one without cause, I
will personally flay you alive. We both know the advantages
of an alien contact. But if you get into a
hotspot and call for help, I'll dive this cruiser into
that city to get you out. Arn swallowed. Thanks, Stett.
(15:21):
I'm We're going to take up a tight orbit. Out
beyond us will be five transports full of IA marines
and a Class nine monitor with one planetbuster. You're calling
the shots, God help you. First, we want to know
if they have the Delphinus, and if so, where it is. Next,
(15:43):
we want to know just how warlike these goons are.
Can we control them? If they're bloodthirsty? What's their potential
in five days? Not a second more? What do we
know about them? Not much. They looked something like an
ancient Terran chimpanzee, only with blue fur faces, hairless, pink
(16:07):
skinned stetson snapped a switch, the translant map became a
screen with a figure frozen on it like that. This
is life size. Looks like the missing link they're always
hunting for, said Arron. Yeah, but you've got a different
kind of a missing link. Vertical slit pupils in their eyes,
(16:28):
said Arron. He studied the figure. It had been caught
from the front by a mini sneaker camera. About five
feet tall, The stance was slightly bent forward, long arms,
two vertical nose slits, a flat, lipless mouth receding chin,
four fingered hands. It wore a wide belt from which
(16:51):
dangled neat pouches and what looked like tools, although their
use was obscure. There appeared to be the tip of
a tail true reading from behind one of the squat
legs behind the creature towered the ferry spires of the
city they'd observed from the air. Tails, asked Orn. Yeah, there, Arboreal.
(17:12):
Not a road on the whole planet that we can find,
but there are a lot of vine lanes through the jungles.
Setsen's face hardened. Match that with a city as advanced
as that one slave culture? Hmm? Probably? How many cities
have they? We found two, this one and another on
(17:33):
the other side of the planet. But the other one's
a ruin, a ruin? Why you tell us lots of
mysteries here? What's the planet like? Mostly jungle? There are
polar oceans, lakes and rivers. One low mountain chain follows
the equatorial belt about two thirds around the planet, but
(17:56):
only two cities, are you sure, reason and the least
so it'd be pretty hard to miss something the size
of that thing we flew over. It must be fifty
kilometers long and at least ten wide. Swarming with these
creatures too. We've got a zone count estimate that places
the city's population at over thirty million. Who we those
(18:19):
are tall buildings too. We don't know much about this place, Orn,
and unless you bring them into the fold, there'll be
nothing but ashes for our archaeologists to pick over. Seems
a dirty shame, I agree, But the call bell jangled.
Stetson's voice sounded tired. Yeah, hell, that mob is only
(18:43):
about five kilometers outstet We've got Orn's gear outside in
the disguised air sled. We'll be right down. Why a
disguised sled, asked Oran. If they think it's a ground buggy,
they might get careless When you most need a vantage.
We could always scoop you out of the air. You
know what are my chances on this one, stett Stetson shrugged.
(19:09):
I'm afraid they're slim. These goons probably have the delphiness
and they want you just long enough to get your
equipment and everything you know. Rough as that eh, according
to our best guess. If you're not out in five days,
we blast. Orn cleared his throat. Want out, asked Stetson.
(19:35):
No use the back door rule, son, always leave yourself
away out. Now, let's check that equipment the surgeon's put
in your neck. Stetson put a hand to his throat.
His mouth remained closed, but there was a surf hissing
voice in Orange's ear. You're reared me sure I can't, no,
(19:57):
hissed the voice. Touch them my contact, Keep your mouth closed,
just use your speaking muscles without speaking. Orn obeyed, okay,
said Stetson. You come in loud and clear. I ought to.
I'm right on top of you. They'll be a relayship
over you all the time, said Stetson. Now, when you're
(20:19):
not touching that mic contact, this wrig will still feed
us which you say, and everything that goes on around
you too. We'll monitor everything. Got that, yes, Stetson held
out his right hand. Good luck. I mean that about
diving in for you, just say the word. I know
(20:40):
the word, too, said Oran. Help Gray mud floor and
gloomy aisles between monstrous bluish tree trunks. That was the jungle.
Only the barest, weak glimmering of sunlight penetrated to the mud.
The disguised sled it's paragraph, It turned off, lurched, and
(21:02):
skidded around buttress roots. Its headlights swung in wild arcs
across the trunks and down to the mud. Aerial creepers,
great looping vines of them, swung down from the towering
forest ceiling. A steady drip of condensation splattered the windshiel,
forcing Orn to use the wipers in the bucket seat
(21:24):
of the sledge. Cab Orn fought the controls. He was
plagued by the vague, slow motion, floating sensation that a
heavy planet native always feels in lighter gravity. It gave
him an unhappy stomach. Things skipped through the air around
the lurching vehicle, flitting and darting. Things. Insects came in
(21:46):
twin cones siphoned toward the headlights. There was an endless chittering,
whistling talking in the gloom beyond the lights. Stetson's voice
hissed suddenly through the surgically implanted speaker. How's it look alien?
Any sign of that mob negative. Okay, we're taking off.
(22:11):
Behind Orn, there came a deep, rumbling roar that receded
as the Scout Cruiser climbed its jets. All other sounds
hung suspended in after silence, then resumed, the strongest first,
and then the weakest. A heavy object suddenly arked through
the headlights, swinging on a vine. It disappeared behind a tree.
(22:35):
Another another ghostly shadows with vine pendulums on both sides.
Something banged down heavily onto the hood of the sled.
Orn breaked to a creaking stop that shifted the load
behind him found himself staring through the windshield at a
native of Diana three. The native crouched on the hood
(22:59):
a Mark twenty exploding pellet rifle in his right hand
directed at Oran's head. In the abrupt shock of meeting,
Orn recognized the weapon, standard issue to the Marine guards
on all R and R survey ships. The native appeared
the twin of the one Orn had seen on the
translight screen. The four fingered hand looked extremely capable around
(23:24):
the stock of the Mark twenty. Slowly, Orn put a
hand to his throat, pressed the contact button. He moved
his speaking muscles just made contact with the mob. One
on the hood now has one of our Mark twenty
rifles aimed at my head. The surf hissing of Stetson's
(23:46):
voice came through the hidden speaker. Want us to come
back negative stand by, He looks cautious rather than hostile.
Orn held up his right hand, palm out. He had
a second thought. Held up his left hand too, universal
symbol of peaceful intentions, empty hands, the gun muzzle lowered slightly.
(24:13):
Orn called into his mind the language that had been
hypno forced into him. Oh kiro no that means the
people ah, and he had the heavy frigative greeting sound. Farroggi, ragazzi,
he said. The native shifted to the left, answered in pure,
(24:33):
unaccented high galacates. Who were you? Orn fought down sudden panic.
The lipless mouth had looked so odd, forming the familiar words.
Stetson's voice hissed, is that native speaking galacatees? Orn touched
his throat. You heard him? He dropped his hand, said,
(24:58):
I am Lewis Orn of Rediscovery and re Education. I
was sent here at the request of the first contact
officer on the Delphinus Rediscovery. Where is your ship? Demanded
the gayanan it put me down and left why it
was behind schedule for another appointment. Out of the corners
(25:22):
of his eyes, Arn saw more shadows dropping to the
mud around him. The sledge shifted as someone climb onto
the load behind the cab. Then someone scuttled agilely for
a moment. The native climbed down to the CAB's side
step opened the door. The rifle was held at the
ready Again. The lipless mouth formed Galacty's words, what do
(25:48):
you carry in this vehicle? The equipment every R and
R field man uses to help the people of a
rediscovered planet to prove themselves. Horne nodded at the rifle.
Would you mind pointing that weapon some other direction? It
makes me nervous. The gun muzzle remained unwaveringly on Orne's middle.
(26:13):
The Native's mouth opened, revealing long canines. Do we not
look strange to you? I take it there's been a
heavy mutational variation in the humanoid norm on this planet,
said Orn. What is it hard radiation? No answer, It
doesn't really make any difference, of course, said Orn. I'm
(26:35):
here to help you. I am Tanube high Path, chief
of the Grazzi, said the native. I decide who is
to help. Orn swallowed. Where do you go? Demanded Tanube?
I was hoping to go to your city? Is it permitted?
A long pause while the vertical slit pupils of Tanube's
(26:59):
eye is expanded and contracted. It is permitted. Stetson's voice
came through the hidden speaker. All bets off, We're coming
in after you. That marked twenty is the final straw.
It means they have the Delphinus for sure. Orn touched
his throat. No, give me a little more time. Why
(27:24):
I have a hunch about these creatures. What is it?
No time now? Trust me. Another long pause, in which
Orn and Toanube continue to study each other presently, Stenton said, okay,
go ahead as planned, but find out where the delphinus is.
(27:46):
If we get that back, we pull their teeth. Why
do you keep touching your throat? Demanded Toanube. I'm nervous,
said Orn. Guns always make me nervous. The muzzle loweredly.
Shall we continue on to your city? Asked Orn. He
wet his lips with his tongue. The cab light on
(28:09):
Tanub's face was giving the guyanon an eerie, sinister look.
We can go soon, said Tanub. Will you join me
inside here? Asked Orn. There is a passenger seat right
behind me. Tanub's eyes moved catlike right left. Yes, he turned,
(28:31):
barked an order into the jungle gloom, then climbed in
behind Orn. Where do we go? Asked Orn. The great
sun will be down soon, said Tanub. We can continue
as soon as chiron akruso rises. Chie ranak russo, our satellite,
our moon, said Tanub. It's a beautiful word, said Orn.
(28:55):
Cheiron ak russo in our tongue. It means the limb
of victory, said Tanub. By its light, we will continue.
Orn turned looked back at Tanub. Do you mean to
tell me that you can see by what light gets
down here through those trees? Can you not see? Asked Tanub?
(29:20):
Not without the headlights, Our eyes differ, said Tanub. He
bent toward Orn, peered the vertical slit pupils of his
eyes expanded, contracted. You are the same as the others,
oh on the dolphiness pause. Yes. Presently, a greater gloom
(29:46):
came over the jungle, bringing a sudden stillness to the wildlife.
There was a chittering commotion from the natives and the
trees around the slid. Tanub shifted behind Orn. We may
go now, said slowly, to stay behind my scouts right,
(30:07):
ornees The sled forward around an obstructing route silence. While
they crawled ahead around them, shapes flung themselves from vine
to vine. I admired your city from the air, said Orn.
It is very beautiful, yes, said Tanub. Why did you
(30:27):
land so far from it? We didn't want to come
down where we might destroy anything. There is nothing to
destroy in the jungle, said Tanub. Why do you have
such a big city, asked Orn silence. I said, why
do you? You are ignorant of our ways, said Tanub.
(30:51):
Therefore I forgive you. The city is for our race.
We must breed and be born in sunlight. Once, long ago,
we used crude platforms on the tops of the trees.
Now only the wild ones do this. Stanton's voice hissed
(31:14):
in Orn's ear. Easy on the sex line, boy, that's
always touchy. These creatures are oviparous. Sex glands are apparently
hidden in that long fur behind where their chins are
to be. Who controls the breeding sites controls our world,
said Tanub. Once there was another city, we destroyed it
(31:40):
Are there many wild ones, asked Orn. Fewer each year,
said Tanub. There's how they get their slaves, hissed Stinton.
You speak excellent galuckes, said Orn. The high path chief
commanded the best teacher, said Tanub, do you too know
(32:03):
many things? Orn? That's why I was sent here, said Orn.
Are there many planets to teach? Said Tanub? Very many,
said Orn. Your city, I saw very tall buildings of
what do you build them? In your tongue glass? Said Tanub.
(32:26):
The engineers of the Delphinus said it was impossible, as
you saw. They are wrong a glass blowing culture, hissed Stetson.
That had explained a lot of things. Slowly, the disguised
sled crept through the jungle. Once a scout swooped down
(32:47):
into the headlights waved. Orn stopped on Tanub's order, and
they waited almost ten minutes before proceeding. Wild ones, asked Orn, Perhaps,
said Tanub. A glowing of many lights grew visible through
the giant tree trunks. It grew brighter as the sled
(33:08):
crept through the last of the jungle emerged in clear
land at the edge of the city. Rn stared upward
in awe. The city fluted and spiraled into the moonlit sky.
It was a fragile, appearing lacery of bridges, winking dots
of light. The bridges wove back and forth from building
(33:31):
to building until the entire visible network appeared one gigantic,
dew glittering web. All that with glass, murmured Arn, what's happening,
hissed Stetson. Orn touched his throat contact. We're just into
the city clearing, proceeding toward the nearest building. This is
(33:54):
far enough, said Tanub. Arn stopped the sled. In the moonlight,
he could see armed gayanins all around. The buttressed pedestal
of one of the buildings loomed directly ahead. It looked
taller than had the Scout Cruiser in its jungle landing circle.
Tanube leaned close to Orn's shoulder. We have not deceived
(34:19):
you have we Arn? Humph? What do you mean you
have recognized that we are not mutated members of your race?
Orn swallowed into his ears. Came Stetson's voice. Better admit it,
that's true, said Arn. I like you, Arn, said Tanub,
(34:44):
you shall be one of my slaves. You will teach
me many things. How did you capture the Dauphinus, asked Arn.
You know that too, You have one of their rifles,
said Arn, Your race is no match for us, Arn
in cunning, in strength, in the prowess of the mind.
(35:07):
Your ship landed to repair its tubes, very inferior ceramics
in those tubes. Arn turned looked at Tanube in the
dim glow of the cab light. Have you heard about
the I A? Tanub? I A? What is that? There
was a weary tenseness in the Guianian's figure. His mouth
(35:31):
opened to reveal the long canines. You took the Delphinus
by treasury, asked Orn. They were simple fools, said Tanub.
We are smaller. Thus they thought us weaker. The Mark
twenty's muzzle came around to center on Orne's stomach. You
(35:51):
have not answered my question. What is the I A?
I am of the I A? Said Orn? Where have
you hidden the Delphinus in the place that suits us best?
Said Tonub. In all our history there has never been
a better place. What do you plan to do with it?
(36:13):
Asked Orn. Within a year we will have a copy
with our own improvements. After that, you intend to start
a war, asked Orn. In the jungle, the strong slay
the weak, until only the strong remain, said Tanub, and
then the strong prey upon each other, asked Arn. That
(36:37):
is a quibble for women, said Tanub. It's too bad
you feel that way, said Orn. When two culturers meet
like this, they tend to help each other. What have
you done with the crew of the Delphinus. They are slaves,
said Tanub. Those who still live. Some resisted, others objected
(36:57):
to teaching us what we want to know. He waved
the gun muscle. You will not be that foolish, will you, Arn?
No need to be, said Arn, I've another little lesson
to teach you. I already know where you've hidden thee Delphinus.
Go boy, hissed Stetson. Where is it impossible, barked Tanub.
(37:22):
It's on your moon, said Arn. Dark side. It's on
a mountain, on the dark side of your moon. Tanoub's
eyes dilated. Contracted. You read minds. The I A has
no need to read minds, said Arn. We rely on
(37:42):
superior mental progress. The Marines are on their way, hissed Stetson.
We're coming in to get you. I'm going to want
to know how you guessed that one. You are a
weak fool like the others, gritted Toanub. It's too bad
you formed your opinion of us by observing only the
(38:04):
low grades of the R and R, said Arn. Easy boy,
hissed Stetson. Don't pick a fight with him now. Remember
his race is arboreal. He's probably as strong as an ape.
I could kill you where you sit, grated Tanube. You write,
(38:26):
finish for your entire planet if you do, said Arn.
I'm not alone. There are others listening to every word
we say. There's a ship overhead that could split open
your planet with one bomb, wash it with molten rock.
It did run like the glass you use for your buildings.
(38:49):
You are lying. We'll make an offer, said Arn. We
don't really want to exterminate you. We'll give you limited
membership in the Galactic Vetterer until you prove you're no
menace to us. Keep talking, hissed Stetson. Keep him interested.
You dare insult me, growled Toanub. You had better believe me,
(39:14):
said orn We. Stetson's voice interrupted him. Got it, Oran,
They caught the Delphinus on the ground right where you
said it'd be. Blew the tubes off it. Marine's now
mopping up. It's like this, said Arron. We already have
recaptured the Delphinus. Tanube's eyes went instinctively skyward. Except for
(39:38):
the captured armament you still hold. You obviously don't have
the weapons to meet us, continued Arn. Otherwise you wouldn't
be carrying that rifle off the Delphinus. If you speak
the truth, then we shall die, bravely, said Tanub. No
need for you to die, said Arn. Better to die
(40:00):
and be slaves, said Tanub. We don't need slaves, said Orn.
We I cannot take the chance that you are lying,
said Tanub. I must kill you now. Orn's foot rested
on the air sled control pedal. He depressed it instantly.
The sledge shot skyward, heavy gees, pressing them down into
(40:21):
the seats. The gun in Tanub's hands was slapped into
his lap. He struggled to raise it to Orn. The
weight was still only about twice that of his home
planet of Chargon. He reached over, took the rifle, found
the safety belts, bound Tanub with them. Then he eased
off the acceleration. We don't need slaves, said Orn. We
(40:46):
have machines to do our work. We'll send experts in here.
Teach you people how to exploit your planet, how to
build good transportation facilities, show you how to mine your minerals,
how to and what do we do in return, whispered Tanub.
You could start by teaching us how to make your superior, Glass,
(41:08):
said Arn. I certainly hope you see things our way.
We really don't want to have to come down here
and clean you out. It'd be a shame to have
to blast that city into little pieces. Tanub wilted presently.
He said, send me back. I will discuss this with
(41:30):
our council. He stared at Orn you, I A's are
too strong. We did not know. In the wardroom of
Stetson's Scout cruiser, the lights were low, the leather chairs comfortable,
the green beige table set with a decanter of Hochar
brandy and two glasses. Orn lifted his glass, sipped the liquor,
(41:55):
smacked his lips for a while there, I thought I'd
never tasting anything like this again. Stetson took his own glass.
Calm Geo heard the whole thing over the general monitor net.
He said, do you know you've been brevetted to senior
field man. Ah, they've already recognized my sterling Worth, said Arn.
(42:18):
The wolfish grin took over Stetson's big features. The senior
field men last about half as long as the juniors,
he said. Mortality's terrific. I might have known, said Oran.
He took another sip of the brandy Stetson flicked on
the switch of a recorder beside him. Okay, you can
go ahead anytime. Where do you want me to start first?
(42:43):
How do you spot right away where they'd hidden the delphinus?
Easy ton Oabe's word for his people was grassy. Most
races call themselves something, meaning the people, but in his
tongue that's ochierro Rozzi wasn't on the translated list. I
(43:04):
started working on it. The most likely answer was that
it had been adopted from another language and meant enemy,
and that told you where the Delphinus was. No, but
it fitted my hunch about these guy Inians. I kind
of felt from the first minute of meeting them that
they had a culture like the Indians of ancient Chha.
(43:28):
Why they came in like a primitive rating party. The
leader dropped right onto the hood of my sled an
actor of bravery, no less counting coop you see, I
guess so. Then he said he was high path chief.
That wasn't on the language list either, But it was
(43:50):
easy raider chief. There's a word in almost every language
in history that means raider and derives from a word
for road path or highway highwaymen, said Stetson. Raid itself
said on an ancient terran language, corruption of road. Yeah, yeah,
(44:12):
but where'd all this translation? Griff put, don't be impatient.
Glass blowing culture meant they were just out of the
primitive stage that we could control. Next, he said, their
moon was chi ranak russo, translated as the limb of victory.
After that, it just fell into place. How the vertical
(44:37):
slit pupils of their eyes. Doesn't that mean anything to you? Maybe?
What's it mean to you? Night hunting predator accustomed to
dropping upon its victims from above. No other type of
creature ever has had the vertical slit. And Tanub sat
himself that the Delphinus was hidden in the best place
(45:00):
in all their history history. That'd be a high place dark. Likewise,
ergo a high place on the dark side of their moon.
I'm a pie eye gripus, whispered Stetson. On grind said
you probably are sir end of missing link.
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