Kyr pondered this information; his eyes narrowed and he looked away toward the mountains. "If one of my race is here, he will be found. He must be convinced to return to Ovs. It is forbidden to interfere with an alien culture."
"Unfortunately that appears to be just what he has been doing here," said Adjani. "We think he is somehow connected with Spence's blackouts and the dreams; that is, he is responsible for them. On at least one occasion what Spence had dreamed has come true."
"The tanti-dream maker," said Kyr. "It is a device-a transmitter capable of influencing brain functions and inducing mental imagery. It was used on Ovs as a medical instrument for treating those suffering from acute mental disorders."
"I'm afraid it has been put to a very different use here on Earth," replied Adjani.
"Then the tanti must be destroyed; those who would use it must be stopped."
"Our thoughts exactly." Spence glanced around at the late afternoon sky. "But it will be getting dark soon. Perhaps we should find shelter before nightfall-at least, before the soldiers work up enough nerve to come back."
"Come with me," said Kyr. "We will use my vehicle." A long arm swept up to indicate the still-glowing object sitting in the center of the dirt road.
".Why?"
"Because he must. It is his life-sworn duty."
"Then they must all be destroyed," said Hocking, for the first time speaking with anything approaching hope. "I was right after all."
Ortu's head began weaving back and forth. "You still do not understand. Perhaps you are unable to comprehend what I have been telling you."
"I understand that if our work is in danger we must take any steps necessary to eliminate that danger. We must stop them." "How do you propose to do that?" Ortu scowled.
Thinking fast, he said, "Your disciples could do it. Send them out to destroy our enemies."
"You have left us no choice. I will summon them." Ortu's head sank. For once he seemed to wear the full weight of his years. His voice sank into a rasping whisper. "Go now."
Hocking swept out of the swirling, cloud-choked chamber and found Pundi lurking in the hallway nearby. "Bring his disciples at once!" he ordered. The servant hurried off on pattering feet to retrieve the chest of gopherwood containing the six teak boxes.
"A flying saucer," said Gita. "I'm going to ride in a flying saucer!"
"Vimana, " said Kyr. "It is called a vimana. "
"Sky car! He is right!" exclaimed Gita. "The word is exactly the same in our language."
"Why not?" chuckled Spence. "No doubt that's where it came from in the first place."
"Then it is really true! And the myths of my people,. Gita began and stopped, stricken with the implications of this revelation.
"Are myths just the same," finished Adjani. "Though with a grain of truth behind them."
"A mountain of truth, sahib," said Gita, shaking his head. "When I said before that I believed your story, I never dreamed… To think they have been worshiping Martians all these years! It staggers the mind!"
Spence listened to this exchange and smiled. As they started toward the vimana he said, "Kyr, how did you know to come here?"
"Your bneri summoned me."
"No, it was taken from me before I could use it. One of the soldiers grabbed it just as I was about to send you the signal."
"I received the signal and I answered it."
"But how? How could you have come so quickly? Only a few minutes passed before you arrived. Does your spacecraft travel so fast?"
"I do not know what you mean, Earthfriend. I was aware of your presence on this road. I watched the truck from before your entry into the village when you were stopped on the road."
Now Spence was completely confused. "That can't be-I had not tried to signal yet. You would have had to receive my summons before I sent it!" He shook his head and looked to Adjani for help- "Just when did you receive the signal?" asked Adjani.
"Your question has no meaning. I cannot answer." The Martian shrugged his narrow shoulders in a human display of ignorance.
"No meaning? Are you saying that time is irrelevant to the working of the bneri?"
"It works outside of time, as thought is outside of time. Therefore you cannot ask 'when' of it." "I don't get it at all," muttered Spence. "Do you?"
"I think so," said Adjani. "Prayer often works the same way. We sometimes see that the seeds of the answer to our prayer have been sown before we even knew to pray. This is possible because God is not confined to time as we are. Past, present, future-he moves through each as he will."
Kyr made a low whistling sound, and translated it for them.
"This God you speak of. He is the All-Being-the Source."
"Yes," replied Adjani. "You know him? You worship him?"
"Worship?"
"It means to revere, to hold worthy, to adore, to praise and love."
Kyr shrugged again. "This, I believe, is implied in living before him. We know him and feel his presence with us at all times."
"It isn't that way on Earth," said Adjani. "Men must choose to know him and worship him of their free will."
"It is the same with us. But who would choose not to know him?" Kyr gave Spence a quick, ironic look.
"You'd be surprised," said Spence.
"I told you once that I would find a way to explain the ways of the All-Being to you. But I see now that there is a barrier between us which I cannot cross. It was placed there by Dal Elna, who made you different from us. My explanations would not satisfy you."
"I believe you, Kyr. For an Earthman, nothing will do unless he finds the All-Being by himself, in his own way."
Just then Gita, who had been silent during this exchange broke in with, "Look! The townspeople from Rangpo are coming. They have seen your vimana. We must hurry away now or we may be here all night."
"We will talk of these things at greater length when time is not important. Now we have work to do," said Kyr. He turned and headed toward his craft. At his approach a red line appeared at the top of the object and slid down along the side, slicing it in two. A brilliant light flooded over them as the two halves parted to receive them. Spence, Adjani, and Gita stepped hesitantly into the light and followed Kyr into the craft.
The people of Rangpo saw four figures disappear inside a red beam of light and then a loud whirring sound filled the air as the unidentified flying object grew suddenly bright orange and then flashed over their heads in an instant, moving over the town toward the mountains to vanish in the clouds.
22
… THE GENTLE EVENING CLOSED around them like a soft and loving hand. The cool air brightened the fire as it crackled under Gita's deft fingers. The deep blue shadows darkened in the forest of green bamboo and the rustlings of monkeys and birds in the trees quieted. Kyr's spacecraft rested a few meters away in a clearing; it gave off a dim bluish glimmer now, its systems shut down for the present.
Gita hovered near the tall alien's shoulder-shyly, nervously, like a schoolboy in the presence of a high dignitary, a schoolboy who did not dream of contributing to the conversation of the adults, yet desired above anything to remain within the charmed circle of their words.