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But not quite. A quarter of a mile away, rounding one of the giant trees, a little column was
moving steadily toward them. Raft groaned.
"Darum's soldiers. That looks like yeah, it's Vann, all right. Come on, Craddock. Maybe
we can make it."
"I I can't." The older man staggered as he tried to keep up with Raft's quick strides. "Go
on ahead. Don't mind about me."
Raft halted and shrugged. "They'd have caught us anyway. We'll wait, I guess. And fight it
out." He touched the butt of the revolver, and watched that glittering column draw nearer.
Finally, the column deployed, showing two score of soldiers, wary, armed men who spread
out to surround their prisoners. Vann's scarred, hard face was impassive.
"You're captives," he said. "There'll be time for a duel later, if you want, but the king needs
you both now. So you are Brian Raft, after all, eh? And this.man is Craddock?" He stared
curiously.
"What does Darum intend to do?" Raft asked. "Cut my throat?"
"No," Vann said. "Not yet, at least. Where is Parror?"
"Gone. I don't know where."
"We'll find him." Vann issued swift orders. Half of the group broke up, spreading out into
the forest.
"Now we'll go back to Doirada Castle. Meanwhile, you can tell me, Raft, what lies in the
Garden of Kharn. I'd have entered it to carry out my orders, but not with any pleasure.
What devils lair in Kharn?"
"I'll tell you later," Raft said wearily. He let the revolver drop back into his pocket. "Right
now, I'm too tired to care. Let's go back to Doirada."
XII POWER OF SCIENCE
QUIETLY THEY STOOD before the king, waiting, in the dim-lit room where Yrann's harp
had sung. But it was brighter now. The veiled woman was not around. In her place Janissa
sat on a cushioned couch near the dais. She had looked at Raft once, given him a cryptic
smile, and turned back to watch Darum, who squatted cross-legged amid his silks.
Darum watched Raft out of hooded eyes.
"You think I am going to kill you," he said. "Why? Don't trouble to answer. I can read that
much in your face. Because you tried to kill me, with that knife Vann took from you. Also
because you stole my amulet."
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Raft attempted to speak, but the king lifted his hand.
"Wait. Your race is not as mine. I see no great evil in your attempt at murder. You'd have
succeeded had you deserved to succeed. Since you didn't " He nodded " it is over and
done with. What is past is past. Tomorrow you may try again, or I may, and succeed. And I
will take back the amulet too. Meanwhile, Janissa has told me a great deal."
"When I found you'd escaped, Brian I told Darum," the girl said. "I knew you'd gone after
Parror."
"Yes," the king said silkily. "And I wanted Parror. He goes too far, I think. After all, I rule
in Paititi, not Parror."
"For a while," Raft said quietly. "If he starts the Flame, and it gets out of control, you won't
rule anything."
"So he learned Craddock's secret." Darum sighed. "He is outlawed now. Every man's hand
is against him. And I have guarded the unseen road so he cannot enter it. I do not think he
will reach the Flame."
"Parror is clever," Janissa said.
Craddock broke in.
"He'll need instruments. I know that much. It'll take time."
Darum shrugged.
'*! am no scientist. I know only that there is danger both ways. If the Flame fades below a
danger level well, Janissa? What then?"
"We will become as the cavern-beasts," she told him. "We will degenerate as the First Race
did."
"But when that day will come none can say. In our lifetime, or our children's, or perhaps
not even then. And if Parror tries to rouse the Flame, and fails to check it, that will mean
immediate destruction."
"He doesn't think so," Craddock said. "He's sure he can control the Flame."
"But can he?" Darum leaned forward. "That is what I seek to know. Can he surely?"
"I wish I knew," Craddock said. "Parror got certain memories out of my mind, but they
were mere superficial memories, not knowledge. I don't even know what most of the
symbols I wrote down, for him meant. I didn't know thirty years ago, when I translated
part of the record."
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"The record that was destroyed when the Flame wakened," Darum said. "A secret only
Parror and you know now?"
"I don't know," Craddock said. "It was dragged out of my mind by hypnosis. I wasn't
conscious most of the time. I've only the vaguest idea what Parror intends to do."
"Well, the first step is to capture Parror, so he won't rouse the Flame," Darum said
practically. "I hope my guards will find him soon. Meanwhile, how am I to deal with you
two?"
"Why not just let us go?" Raft said slowly.
"Simians are too curious. Your race would try to enter Paititi. Two species, both dominant,
cannot live together successfully."
"Why not?" Raft asked. 'There's the possibility of mutual benefit."
"Our minds are too unlike."
"I think you underestimate Parror, Darum," Janissa said. "He's clever, and he has more
knowledge than I. There are powers connected with the Rame that not even I
understand. But Parror understands them. Also, I have heard legends of a secret way to
reach the cave where Curupuri burns."
"He must not reach the Flame!" Darum said.
Raft glanced at Janissa, and drew courage from her steady gaze. "Suppose he does though.
In spite of everything. That means that he'll waken the Flame. If he makes a mistake,
nothing can save Paititi. Right?"
The king nodded.
"True."
"All right," Raft said."Here's an answer. Forestall him."
Darum jerked his head up to stare.
"Waken the Rame ourselves?"
"Why not?" Raft asked. "We've got the science of two cultures here in this room, which
gives us an edge on Parror. Janissa knows the Rame. She's its hereditary guardian. I know
biochemistry, and Craddock isn't a layman. And you must have technicians here."
"We do."
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"Well, then, what's to prevent us from making the device ourselves?"
"The question of possible failure," Darum said. "The First Race never tested their machine.
They waited too long. There is absolutely no way of fortelling whether it would actually
control the Rame. Trial and error is the only way, and one error means destruction."
"There is a way," Raft said.
Janissa breathed a question.
Raft took out the amulet. Seeing it, the king's eyes narrowed.
"You know what this is, Darum. It holds a spark of Rame. It is the Hame, but too tiny to be
very dangerous. Why not use this as the control? If this spark from the Rame itself can be
stimulated, and leashed, you'd know the machine was successful.
Darum shrugged.
"Parror may have the same idea," Raft continued. "I hope so. But in case he doesn't, we'll
have the jump on him, and
know definitely whether the device the First Ones planned is safe."
Darum hesitated.
"Perhaps that is true."
Raft talked fast. "If this works, it'll remove the menace of the Rame forever. It'll mean
complete control of that source of energy. The threat of degeneration will be removed from
Paititi completely. Suppose we do fail we'll simply.be right back here where we stand
now, won't we?"
"He's right," Janissa said breathlessly. "It's a chance, Darum. The only one, if Parror
outwits us. And it may mean safety for Paititi forever."
Darum did not speak for a long moment. Then he nodded slowly.
"I agree, then. Janissa, this is in your hands. And now leave me. We will talk later."
The girl led them out. Behind them the lights dimmed, and, as Raft moved along the
passage that led from the king's chamber, he heard a murmuring of faint music.
Yrann. Should he have warned the king against her? Perhaps. But he doubted whether
Darum would have believed him. He shelved the thought for future reference.
Meanwhile Craddock was pulling at his arm.
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r r [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]