“I don’t want to put her under stress!”
“She is already under stress.”
As with Colene, he was damned either way. “I’ll do it.”
Darius did some more thinking about the possible nature of the monster. It seemed unlikely to him that even the most intelligent snail could do the type of mischief described. That suggested that the monster was human. That in turn suggested that something more than incidental vandalism was involved. Perhaps Ddwng knew it.
He discussed it with Jjle, without speaking of his suspicion. “What is the standard way to deal with a problem like this?” He had learned the answer from Cat, but he had a reason to clear this with the exec.
“Locate the troublemaker with a fair degree of certainty and bomb the region,” Jjle replied.
“But doesn’t that kill many innocent folk along with the guilty one?”
“It does. But since the normal trouble is terrorism or incipient rebellion against the Empire, and the penalty is known, this is an effective mechanism. Few loyal creatures would seek to shield a guilty one.”
“I will do it in another manner. I will not bomb the region; I will enter it myself and try to nullify the monster. I intend to kill no innocent folk, either human or native.”
“I do not recommend this,” the exec said, alarmed.
“Neither do my Felines,” Darius said with a smile. “They are unanimous against it. But I believe it is my authority to handle this mission as I choose.”
Jjle gazed at him with a certain wary appreciation. “That is correct, Captain. But I must insist that you be appropriately protected.”
“I will take Tom and Pussy as bodyguards, carrying weapons.”
“A female null? This is irregular.”
“But my prerogative.”
“True, sir.” There was a slight emphasis on the “sir,” a nuance of disapproval. “But two nulls is not sufficient protection. You will require shielding.”
“Armor?”
“It could be called that. It will shield you from both physical and environmental threats.”
“Agreed. The three of us will be so protected.”
He returned to his chambers, knowing that a message would be sent to Ddwng, and that the Emperor would confirm Darius’ authority, because Ddwng wanted to learn more about him. None of the members of this ship owed allegiance to Darius, only to the Emperor. All thought him foolish and perhaps crazy, but they had to go along with him as long as Ddwng did. They feared he might only get himself killed.
But Provos had remembered him killing the monster, so the success of his mission was not in doubt, merely the manner of its accomplishment. Of course Provos had been in error about his having sex with Pussy, but only because she had made the reasonable assumption about his session in the bedroom. Provos did not know the literal future, only that part of it she was to learn. Darius had been caught in compromise. Anyone would have drawn a similar conclusion. Especially Colene. And he was in effect guilty. But however Colene now felt about him, he still loved her, and the thought of her being sterilized and lobotomized was intolerable. He had to save her.
So if Ddwng wanted to discover Darius’ nature, this would provide a clear indication. He would accomplish this mission in his own style. But he still had not decided whether to accede to Ddwng’s demand for the Chip. If he could find a way to save Colene without giving up the Chip, he would do so. Just as he hoped to find a way to nullify the monster without hurting anyone.
“Tell me about shielding,” he said to Cat.
“It is an electronic armament which prevents any fast-moving missiles from touching the wearer,” Cat replied. “It also intercepts any radiation or sonics which would be harmful. Only officers of the Empire are allowed to utilize it.”
“Or those designated by such officers.” Darius was catching on to the rules of the Empire.
“True.”
“Do you think it will intercept the mind-stunning attack of the monster?”
“It should, as there surely is some physical aspect of this. True mental transmission between minds is unknown; all claims of such have been investigated and debunked. But it seems indiscreet to expose yourself to it.”
“It seems indiscreet to me not to,” Darius said. “Tom and Pussy and I will go after the monster protected in this manner.”
Cat was silent. That was his indication of disagreement so strong as to be a possible disservice if voiced. No null could afford to call its master a fool.
THE Flay arrived at Planet Yils on schedule. There was no fanfare; it simply took up what Jjle described as an orbit, and Darius stepped into the transfer chamber with his two Feline bodyguards. Tom was confident; Pussy was nervous. Tom carried what was called a laser rifle, and Pussy the pain dial. She had to bear a weapon for this type of service to count, though she seemed afraid of it.
The shields they wore were invisible. They were generated by small boxes carried in pockets. Darius knew the power of magic, but distrusted the power of super-science, so tested the shields by having his Felines make mock attacks against each other and himself. They could make contact with each other, but the moment any motion became swift enough to harm a person, the shields cushioned it and slowed it down to safe range. The faster the motion, the greater the cushioning effect, until it became quite uncushionlike. When Darius, emboldened by slower maneuvers, attempted to strike Tom with a stick, the stick seemed to smack into a wall, and it broke in half. Thrown stones bounced off harmlessly. A direct charge at Pussy resulted in both of them bouncing back, cushioned by their shields so that neither was hurt.
This did seem to be about as good as magic. But would it really be effective against the monster? Darius had a nagging doubt.
They met the commandant of the colony, an old human man in an Empire robe. “It struck again six hours ago,” he announced. His language was unfamiliar, but Darius now carried a translation ball which worked both ways. “We have set up a cordon, and believe we have it isolated. Unfortunately a number of colonists reside in that sector.”
“We are not going to bomb the sector,” Darius said.
“You have a way to point-spot the monster?” the commandant asked, relieved.
“We are going to search for it ourselves.”
“But it can stun human minds!”
“We are shielded.”
The commandant looked doubtful. “I would not wish to seem critical of Navy equipment, but unless your shields are more potent than ours, they will not be effective. This seems almost to be a case of—something unknown.”
So maybe it was direct mind contact! The commandant didn’t want to name it as such, fearing ridicule for believing what was supposedly supernatural, but he was hinting. “I have had some experience of this type,” Darius said, understating the case. Receiving and amplifying and broadcasting mental power was his specialty of magic. If by any chance the monster’s power related, Darius might be uniquely equipped to handle it. He had tested sympathetic magic here and found it to be inoperative, but perhaps mental magic would work. Certainly the two were different, because even in his own Mode, few folk possessed the power of multiplying feeling, while anyone could do ordinary magic.
Could this be coincidence? Colene had arrived at this Mode before him, perhaps because of his delay when he returned Prima to his own Mode. Ddwng had surely questioned her. She could have told him what she knew of Darius’ power of magic, which the Emperor well might have interpreted as supernatural mental power. By the definitions of this culture, that was what it was. Darius had not been aware of any mental interactions with the folk of this Mode, but it was possible that though most were deaf to the transfer of joy, some few might be receptive.