"Well?" the former assistant asked, leaning back in his boss's chair.
"We haven't caught them yet, but we will. It's only a matter of time. After all, they can't go far."
"Yes, well… see that you take care of it."
"I can handle it, don't worry. How are things going on your end?"
"Running like clockwork. I was just looking over the projections for the completion of construction on the engine installation. We're right on schedule. Hocking thinks of everything."
"Let's hope so."
Wermeyer gave him a quick questioning look. "What's that Supposed to mean?"
"Nothing. I'm just a little nervous about this, you know. Taking over an entire space station… I mean, it's never been done."
"Relax and do your job and everything will go as planned. Did you get your orders?"
"Right. Phase two is in operation; I've already told my men. Any word when the machine will arrive?"
"Not yet. Hocking said to stand by. That's what we're doing."
"How about the new master program?"
"Ready and waiting. MIRA won't know what hit her. All communication and operation functions will be under our control as soon as we are given the word. If anyone has any thoughts about signaling for help there won't be a thing they can do about it. As for resistance-"
"I'll handle any resistance. I don't expect there will be much. It's awful cold and lonely out there…" He nodded past Wermeyer toward the huge observation bubble and the stars glowing brightly beyond.
"Yes, well, let's hope it won't come to that."
Ramm turned to leave. Before he reached the door he stopped and said, "Let me know the minute Hocking checks in. We'll want to secure the docking bay in case Packer and his pilot friend have any ideas."
"You let me know the minute you find them," returned Wermeyer tartly. "This has gone on long enough." …
How LONG THE VISION lasted, Spence did not know. When he came to himself again the fire had died down to glowing embers and the moon had lowered in the treetops. Crickets chirped their trilling nightsong and the breeze down from the mountain slopes had freshened to a chill.
Gita lay curled near the remains of the campfire sound asleep, his turban resting on his outstretched arm. Adjani sat with his knees drawn up, head nodding on his chest. Kyr, his long thin legs crossed and his long arms wrapped around his narrow chest, sat gazing into the glowing coals which reflected in his great yellow eyes.
The effects of the Essila still tingled in Spence's limbs and pulsed in his brain; he still tasted a trace of sweetness on his lips. But the mingled rush of thoughts and emotions, of shared essences and spirits was gone.
"It is over," said Spence quietly. The Martian turned his head to regard him intently.
"Yes, Earthbrother. All that remains is to thank the One who gave us the Essila that we might know each other more perfectly."
"I will thank him the rest of my days," said Spence. The memory of all that had taken place still burned within him, and he knew he would carry it with him always. "Does it always have such power?"
"Sometimes more than others. The first time is the most overwhelming, but each time is different…" Kyr ran out of words to explain and fell silent. Spence understood that it was not a thing discussed and analyzed, only experienced and accepted. He wondered if the others had undergone the same thing he had.
The wind shifted then and Spence heard a sound that tripped a warning in his mind. "Did you hear that?"
The alien cocked his head to one side. The nightsong continued to ripple through the forest undisturbed. "I hear a great many things-all of which are new to me," replied Kyr at length.
"Perhaps it was nothing but the wind-" began Spence, but he heard the sound again, this time more distinctly: a faint whirring buzz like the rustle of dead leaves on a tree. He knew what it was; he had heard it before. "No! Not again!" he shouted, leaping up.
He stared up at the sky through the opening in the trees overhead and saw the outline of several black shapes sliding over them as the sound of those vibrating wings reached them with a dry hiss.
"We've got to get out of here!" cried Spence. "The Dream Thief has found us!"
"What is it? What's happened?" Adjani sprang up at once.
"The demon is back-the Dream Thief's demon. I think there's more than one this time… Let's get out of here!"
Spence turned to rouse Gita, but Kyr scooped him up in one effortless motion and began striding off into the clearing toward the spacecraft.
Spence and Adjani hurried after him through the tall grass, glancing skyward as the sound of the dreadful buzzing increased.
They reached the vehicle as the first of Ortu's disciples swooped down. A voice in Spence's head said, Stop! Don't run!
Spence stopped and turned to see a creature touching down a few meters away. It looked at him with glowing green eyes and he saw its horrid, manlike face grimacing in the moonlight. It had huge membraned wings like a bat's attached to a human-looking torso that sprouted four arms. The lower half of the body resembled a serpent's-the thing looked exactly like the small charm Adjani had found.
Immediately another dark form came down behind it and another just off to one side. All stared at him malevolently with their hideous luminous eyes.
"Get in quickly!" Spence felt a touch on his shoulder and felt himself jerked around. "Spence!" Adjani cried. "Move!"
Adjani appeared before him, shouting at him, it seemed, from a great distance. He felt himself drawn toward the gruesome creatures with the glowing eyes. He wheeled around and started walking toward them; he could feel a will outside his own directing his steps.
"What am I doing?" he wondered.
Come here, directed the voices.
"Spence!" shrieked Adjani. "Come back!"
Spence stopped and shook his head. He was almost upon the wicked creatures when he felt himself lifted off the ground and carried bodily back toward the waiting vimana, now glowing bright red-orange. He twisted in the steely grasp and saw Kyr looking over his shoulder at the demons.
They had almost reached the spacecraft when he saw a glimmer out of the corner of his eye. One of the demons held a glittering thing in his hands which he aimed at them. In the same instant a mighty sound ripped through him-a sound which seemed to melt his bones and turn his bowels to jelly. Kyr stumbled and fell and Spence, in his grasp, was thrown to the ground.
Before he could think or move he felt icy fingers on him. He saw a thin, stick-fingered hand reach out for him, and the cold touch of those hideous hands on his flesh sent ripples of revulsion through him. Spence struggled weakly, but his will had abandoned him and he could not break the grasp. At the same moment he sensed his consciousness leaving him. Dark clouds seemed to gather before his eyes and it was as if his skull was being opened and his brain plucked from its cavity. He was powerless to stop it.
He teetered on the edge of consciousness and saw Kyr laying next to him, eyes open and staring up at the star-spattered sky. Then a grotesque face was peering into his own and Spence looked into the cold green eyes of one of the creatures. In its hands it held a silver sphere which it lowered toward him.
Spence sensed that when the sphere touched his head he would be completely under their control.
The sphere came nearer, bare centimeters away from him now. He squirmed on the ground, but the effort was futile and absurd. He lay still and closed his eyes.
Even as he did so, a piercing, ruby light flashed out and struck the sphere; the object shattered in the creature's grasp, and disintegrated.
He was released from the spell. He jumped to his feet and tore the clutching hands of the awful creature from him, lashing out at it with his feet.