Orne."
A glowing of many lights grew visible through the giant tree trunks. It brightened as the sled crept through the jungle's edge and emerged in cleared land looking across about two kilometers of open space at the city.
Orne stared upward in awe. The Gienahn city fluted and spiralled into the moonlit sky, taller than the tallest trees. It appeared a fragile lacery of bridges, glowing columns and winking dots of light. The bridges wove back and forth from column to column until the entire visible network seemed one gigantic dew-glittering web.
"All that with glass," Orne murmured.
"What's happening?" Stetson demanded.
Orne touched his throat: "We're just out of the jungle and proceeding toward the nearest buildings of the city. They are magnificent!"
"Too bad if we have to blast the place."
Orne thought of a Chargonian curse: May you grow like a wild root with your head in the ground!
Tanub said: "This is far enough, Orne. Stop your vehicle."
Orne brought the sled to a jolting stop. He could see armed Gienahns all around in the moonlight -- Mark XX's, hand blasters. The glass-buttressed pedestal of a columnar building lifted into the moonlight directly ahead. It appeared taller than had the scout cruiser in the jungle landing circle.
Tanub leaned over Orne's shoulder. "We have not deceived you, Orne, have we?"
Orne felt his stomach contract. "What do you mean?" The furry odor of the Gienahn was oppressive in the cab.
"You have recognized that we cannot be mutated members of your race," Tanub said.
Orne tried to swallow in a dry throat. Stetson's voice came into his ears:
"Better admit it."
"That's true," Orne said.
"I like you, Orne," Tanub said. "You shall be one of my slaves. I will give you fine females from the Delphinus and you will teach me many things."
"How did you capture the Delphinus?" Orne asked.
"How do you know of this?" Tanub drew back and Orne saw the rifle muzzle come up.
"You have one of their rifles," Orne said. "We don't pass around weapons.
Our aim is to reduce the numbers of weapons throughout the . . ."
"Weak ground crawlers!" Tanub said. "You are no match for us, Orne. We take the high path. Our prowess is great. We surpass all other creatures in cunning. We shall subjugate you."
"How'd you take the Delphinus?" Orne asked.
"Ha! They brought their ship into our reach because it had inferior tubes.
We told them truthfully that we could improve their tubes. Very inferior ceramics your kind makes."
Orne studied Tanub in the dim glow of the cab light. "Tanub, have you heard of the I-A?"
"I-A! They investigate and adjust when others make mistakes. Their existence is an admission of your inferiority. You make mistakes!"
"Many people make mistakes," Orne said.
A wary tenseness came over the Gienahn. His mouth opened to reveal the long canines.
"You took the Delphinus by treachery?" Orne asked.
Stetson's voice came hissing on the carrier wave into Orne's hearing: "Don't goad him!"
Tanub said: "They were simple fools on the Delphinus. We are smaller than your kind; they thought us weaker." The Mark XX's muzzle came around to center on Orne's stomach. "You will answer a question. Why do you speak of this I-A?"
"I am of the I-A," Orne said. "I came here to find out where you'd hidden the Delphinus,"
"You came to die," Tanub said. "We have hidden your ship in the place that suits us best. In all of our history there has never been a better place for us to crouch and await the moment of attack."
"You see no alternative to attack?" Orne asked.
"In the jungle, the strong slay the weak until only the strong remain," Tanub said.
"Then the strong prey upon each other," Orne said.
"That is a quibble for weaklings!"
"Or for those who have seen this kind of thinking make entire worlds uninhabitable for any form of life -- nothing left for the strong or the weak."
"Within one of your years, Orne, we will be ready. Then we shall see which of us is correct."
"It's too bad you feel
A glowing of many lights grew visible through the giant tree trunks. It brightened as the sled crept through the jungle's edge and emerged in cleared land looking across about two kilometers of open space at the city.
Orne stared upward in awe. The Gienahn city fluted and spiralled into the moonlit sky, taller than the tallest trees. It appeared a fragile lacery of bridges, glowing columns and winking dots of light. The bridges wove back and forth from column to column until the entire visible network seemed one gigantic dew-glittering web.
"All that with glass," Orne murmured.
"What's happening?" Stetson demanded.
Orne touched his throat: "We're just out of the jungle and proceeding toward the nearest buildings of the city. They are magnificent!"
"Too bad if we have to blast the place."
Orne thought of a Chargonian curse: May you grow like a wild root with your head in the ground!
Tanub said: "This is far enough, Orne. Stop your vehicle."
Orne brought the sled to a jolting stop. He could see armed Gienahns all around in the moonlight -- Mark XX's, hand blasters. The glass-buttressed pedestal of a columnar building lifted into the moonlight directly ahead. It appeared taller than had the scout cruiser in the jungle landing circle.
Tanub leaned over Orne's shoulder. "We have not deceived you, Orne, have we?"
Orne felt his stomach contract. "What do you mean?" The furry odor of the Gienahn was oppressive in the cab.
"You have recognized that we cannot be mutated members of your race," Tanub said.
Orne tried to swallow in a dry throat. Stetson's voice came into his ears:
"Better admit it."
"That's true," Orne said.
"I like you, Orne," Tanub said. "You shall be one of my slaves. I will give you fine females from the Delphinus and you will teach me many things."
"How did you capture the Delphinus?" Orne asked.
"How do you know of this?" Tanub drew back and Orne saw the rifle muzzle come up.
"You have one of their rifles," Orne said. "We don't pass around weapons.
Our aim is to reduce the numbers of weapons throughout the . . ."
"Weak ground crawlers!" Tanub said. "You are no match for us, Orne. We take the high path. Our prowess is great. We surpass all other creatures in cunning. We shall subjugate you."
"How'd you take the Delphinus?" Orne asked.
"Ha! They brought their ship into our reach because it had inferior tubes.
We told them truthfully that we could improve their tubes. Very inferior ceramics your kind makes."
Orne studied Tanub in the dim glow of the cab light. "Tanub, have you heard of the I-A?"
"I-A! They investigate and adjust when others make mistakes. Their existence is an admission of your inferiority. You make mistakes!"
"Many people make mistakes," Orne said.
A wary tenseness came over the Gienahn. His mouth opened to reveal the long canines.
"You took the Delphinus by treachery?" Orne asked.
Stetson's voice came hissing on the carrier wave into Orne's hearing: "Don't goad him!"
Tanub said: "They were simple fools on the Delphinus. We are smaller than your kind; they thought us weaker." The Mark XX's muzzle came around to center on Orne's stomach. "You will answer a question. Why do you speak of this I-A?"
"I am of the I-A," Orne said. "I came here to find out where you'd hidden the Delphinus,"
"You came to die," Tanub said. "We have hidden your ship in the place that suits us best. In all of our history there has never been a better place for us to crouch and await the moment of attack."
"You see no alternative to attack?" Orne asked.
"In the jungle, the strong slay the weak until only the strong remain," Tanub said.
"Then the strong prey upon each other," Orne said.
"That is a quibble for weaklings!"
"Or for those who have seen this kind of thinking make entire worlds uninhabitable for any form of life -- nothing left for the strong or the weak."
"Within one of your years, Orne, we will be ready. Then we shall see which of us is correct."
"It's too bad you feel
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