Ch 06

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter six of Advance Agent by Christopher Anvil. This LibriVox
recording is in the public domain. Advance Agent by Christopher Anvil,
Chapter six. By the end of the week, Dan was
able to pass through a door with a specialized type
of Geiger counter in the locking circuit, and by that

(00:23):
time Keelgard had noted sharp fluctuations in the mood. At
trans Base, there had been an interval of wild confusion,
but it hadn't lasted. Many more trans based agents had
gone to purses, and trans Base seemed to be on
top again. The instant Dan stepped from the mines through
the door mark out. He was rushed through a shower,

(00:45):
a shave and a haircut, shoved into a truth chair,
and asked questions, given the new cape and clothes, and
buckled into a glittering belt by a purple cape man
addressed as Reverence. No sooner was the belt in place
than all, including Reverendrans snapped to attention, Devisement, said a
man in an orange and black cape. We need your

(01:06):
decision quickly. At home, men of usurped cloaks of divisement
and given orders contrary to the public good. They wore
belts of power but did not die. When their false
orders were given. In the central city, they convened a council,
seated themselves in the Hall of Truth, and on the
very first oath, every single one of them present was

(01:26):
thrown into the life beyond. Because the statue was already belted.
Men wearing cloaks of divisement had to give the orders.
But now they were all gone. Looters roamed the streets,
breaking indoors. These men were vacation dodgers, out so long
that they couldn't even make a charge light flicker, and
the sweepers cleaned up some of them, but they killed

(01:48):
the sweepers. Divisement, I tell you the truth. I believe you, said, Dan,
Thank Heaven, Devisement. Something must be done. A young boy
passed and graduated to the divisement cape, but before he
could take action, he was shot from ambush. We found
an old man of the right cape out in the country,

(02:08):
and when we finally convinced him, he rounded up one
hundred and fifty seven vacation dodgers and executed them. We
had things in order, but now a glot of fanatics
and devisement capes and belts of power have burst into
the streets. Their orders are silly, yet their belts don't
kill them. They have no fear of the truth. Business

(02:29):
has stopped, and men are hungry. The people are going wild.
Strange boats have appeared off shore. Metaform transmitters of odd
design are being set up near the shore. This cannot
go on without breaking the circle. Dan's throat felt dry.
Sir said the porson desperately. You must devise something. What

(02:52):
shall we do? A faint tingling at Dan's waist suggested
to him that he choose his words carefully. One lie
or bad intention and the belt of power would probably
finish him. He thought carefully. The total power of the
porson planet must be at least the equal of even
the huge transpace organization, and Porses had a power all

(03:16):
in one place. The planet was organized till the last
ounce of energy, if only it could be brought to
bear in time. Dan ordered his anxious companions to take
him to Porses far under the central city, which was
the city he had seen. He found a weary, powerful

(03:37):
old man in a light blue cape and glittering belt,
directing operations from a television command post. The console showed
street scenes of men in sky blue capes and flashing
belts who danced and jabbered, their faces aglow with lunacies.
They wrapped out conflicting orders, and the people jerked and
dashed this way and that, tears running down their faces.

(04:01):
Near the statue before the Hall of Truth, close ranks
of porsoned men in orange and black cape stood massed
on the steps holding sleeked board guns. On the street below,
gibbering lunatics and sky blue danced and shrieked orders. But
the eyes of the men on the steps were tightly shut.
By a technicality, they avoided obedience to the lunacy, for

(04:24):
with their eyes shut, how could they be sure who
gave the command. At the belted statue itself, a man
in blue was clinging to one bronze arm as he
slammed down a hammer to knock loose the partly broken circle.
The statue obstinately refused to let go. At the base
of the statue, holding a microphone, stood an average looking

(04:45):
man in a sky blue cape, his lips drawn back
in an amused smile. He gestured to men with crowbars,
and they tried to jam them between the statue and
its base. This failing, they took up chisels and hammers.
Man working on the circle shrugged and jumped down at
the console. The old man looked up at Dan. He

(05:07):
put his hand out and felt Dan's belt. Apparently, the
tingle reassured him, and he seemed to accept Dan without
further question. This is about the end, he said. When
that statue goes, those men will feel the jolt and
open their eyes. They're the last formed body of troops
on the planet, and when they go will have nothing

(05:28):
to strike with. There must be something I could devise
for this, but I've been up three nights and I
can't think. Can you delay it? Asked Dan, grappling with
the beginning of his plan. Oh, we'll delay it. I've
got the last of the sweepers collected at the holes
opening into the square. Just when that statue begins to tip,

(05:49):
I'll let the sweepers out. That'll stop things for a while.
Then they'll kill the sweepers and my bolt is shot.
Won't the men you've got here fire on those blue
cape fakes? Devisement, said the old man, shaking his head.
You know better. Are there any fire hoses? Will your

(06:10):
men squirt water on the blue caped ones. Yes, said
the old man, leaning forward. They'll get shot, but yes
they will. What is it? What are you devising? Dan
outlined his plan. The old man's eyes lighted. He nodded,
and Dan went out and climbed with guides through a

(06:31):
grim dark tunnel where the sweepers were kept. He peered
out the hole, and as across the street the statue
began to tip. He burst outside and sprinted into the square.
The trans Space leader raised his microphone. Dan ripped it
out of his hand and knocked him off his feet.

(06:52):
Then knelt and pick up the heavy shield that had
been taken off the statue to get at the ring.
A bullet hummed over Dan's with a rush of air
and a heavy smash, The statue landed full length on
the ground. Dan hauled himself up onto its base. Another
bullet buzzed past him. Then there was a yell, and

(07:14):
Dan looked down in the street. The sweepers were horrible
as they poured from their holes, but they looked almost
beautiful to Dan. He glanced at the portions masked on
the steps, their faces white with near hysteria. Their eyes
were open and watching him. The Transpace men were too

(07:34):
busy to give orders. Dan raised the microphone and his
voice boomed out, close your eyes till you hear the
roar of the lion, then obey your true leaders. He
repeated the order three times before it dawned on the
trans Space technicians that this was not according to plan.

(07:56):
The loud speaker gave a booming click and cut off.
By then, the sweepers had been killed, and Dan became
aware of bullets thrumbing past him. Suddenly he felt weak
with panic that the rest of the plan had fallen apart.
Up the street, Porson men were unscrewing a cap on
the face of a building. They connected a hose. A

(08:17):
sky Blue Cape trans Space agent ordered them away. The
portions turned wads of wax in their ears and raised
the hose. A stream of water knocked the agents backward.
Shots rang out, Porsons fell, but other portions took their places.
The stream arched and fell on the Transpace agents, and

(08:39):
abruptly a whirl of color tinged the water. Blots and
blobs of green, orange, pink, and yellow spattered the Blue
Cape agents. At the end of the street, someone ran up,
tugging a line by the main go dog run. Somewhere
a child cried out terror. The lion roared. The troops

(09:06):
and the steps opened their eyes. An old man's voice,
amplified spoke out with icy authority. Deploy for street fighting.
First rank move out along Center Street toward North Viaduct.
Rifles at full charge, wide intervals. Use every scrap of cover.
Shoot the false belted usurpers on sight. Second rank move

(09:31):
out along West Ocean Avenue toward the sea Wall. Shots
rang out. There was a faint thrumbing hum, like wires
in the wind, and streaks of cherry radiance crisscrossed in
the air. The lion roared, unable to find the child.
The roars of other lions joined in. Dan was aware

(09:54):
that he was lying atop the hard base of the statue,
but he didn't know how he had come to be there.
He tried to stand up. He heard voices screaming orders,
then falling still, and a scene swung into his line
of sight, like something watched through the rear view mirror
of a turning ground car. Half a dozen men, guns

(10:16):
in their hands, their bodies and blue capes spattered and
smeared till they could hardly be recognized. Lay motionless on
the pavement. Then the scenes swung up and away, and
Dan felt weightless. Something hit him hard. His head bounced
and he rolled over. Soft grass was in his face.
It smelt fresh. There was a dull boom that moved

(10:41):
the ground under him. He twisted his head to look up.
A massive arm was stretched out over him, its hand
firmly gripping the cut edges of a big metal ring.
Somewhere a drum took up a steady, monotonous bead. He
fell into a deep black quiet, and all the sights

(11:04):
and sounds grew smaller and fainter, and disappeared entirely. He
awoke in a Porson hospital. Keel Guard was there, wearing
a broad grin and brilliant Porson clothes and promising Dan
a huge bonus. But it was all like a dream,
keel Guard said. The Portions were as mad as hornets.

(11:26):
They had raised a battle fleet, and it had taken
a corps of diplomats in the combined Inner Galactic space
fleet to argue them out of personally chopping Transpasse into
fine bits. No one knew what would finally happen, But
meanwhile Galactic had its contract, and everyone was tentatively happy.
His account finished, keel Guard grinned more broadly yet and

(11:50):
switched on a bedside televiewer. Dan lifted his head off
the pillow and looked at the screen. Then he stared.
It was a statue, once more on its base, the
ring grasps firmly in one hand and a big wrench
in the other. But something seemed different. Dan at last

(12:12):
saw what it was. It was the face. It wasn't
a bad face if one expected to see strong cheekbones,
copper skin, and a high arched nose. What a compliment,
he said, embarrassingly pleased. I hell, I feel like blushing.

(12:32):
Make it a good one, said keel Guard. After tomorrow
you'll have to blush with your own face again tomorrow.
Sure you're still working for us, remember, Dan sat back
on the pillow and gazed up speculatively at the ceiling.
All right, but I want some time off. I have

(12:52):
a fat bonus to spend. You could use a holiday,
keel Guard agreed. Why not try the anddromaedin Cloud Gardens.
Pretty expensive, but with your bonus, I've got a place
picked out, said Dan. I'm going to take a vacation
on porses. Heel guard started. You're joking or you've gone twitchy. No,

(13:17):
before I have to give this face back to surgery.
I ought to get a little enjoyment out of it,
and what could be more enjoyable than hanging around the
statue letting people see the resemblance. Besides, they can't make
me take my vacation on the vacation planet. I've already
had it. End of chapter six end of Advance Agent

(13:41):
by Christopher Anvil read by Paul Hampton,