Fantastic Stories Presents the Imagination (Stories of Science and Fantasy) Super Pack. Edmond Hamilton
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be required to face vast open spaces, and their cubicles partially conditioned them for the experience. Huge as their world was, it was miniscular compared to the one that would confront them.
Calvin, sitting beside Walt in Walt’s cubicle, was trying to express an abstract concept.
“ . . . Forential is afraid of earthmen,” he said. He puckered his face in a frown. “I have just thought of that.”
“Forential is afraid of everything,” Walt said respectfully.
“I remember once when I shoved him he was very afraid. I shouldn’t have,” Calvin said, “ . . . it must be wonderful to be afraid.”
“He is more advanced than we are.”
“We can kill earthmen, though,” Calvin said. “He’s too afraid to; so we get to kill them for him.”
“You got it wrong; you always get things wrong. We are killing earthmen for ourselves.”
“Oh, yes,” Calvin nodded. “I forget.”
“Forential is a friend,” Walt said. “He helps the Lyrians from the goodness of his heart.”
“Earthmen are very bad.”
“That’s right.”
“They are a great evil,” Calvin said excitedly.
“They must be killed.”
“Yes, yes, yes!” Calvin agreed. “I will kill them with my hands.” He fell silent, thinking.
“ . . . there is a Lyrian on Earth,” Walt said slowly “I have been hearing her thoughts.”
“I can think to you,” Calvin said proudly. “Listen.” He concentrated. Muscles in his jaws quivered, “ . . . not today,” he said sadly. “My brain . . . sometimes . . . you know? . . . sometimes . . . .”
“I am hearing thoughts from a Lyrian on Earth,” Walt said in dull amazement. “Do you understand?”
“No; no.”
“It’s a female.”
“All the females are on Lyria . . . . This is a man’s work. We are . . . are going to fight for females, isn’t that right?”
“I tell you,” Walt said, “she’s down there. The first time, I thought I was mistaken.”
Calvin shook his head and flipped the ball toward an unseen mutant. “I can do that good,” he said. The ball whistled back at him through the cubicle wall—leaving the wall unmarked as the atoms of one passed through the atomic spaces of the other. Happily, Calvin stopped it in mid flight.
“She’s down there,” Walt said. “I’ll have to tell Forential about her.”
Calvin tapped his head and smiled. “I think funny thoughts some times, too. You go see Forential. He can’t help, but you go see him, Walt.”
“I wasn’t sure until just before you came in,” Walt said.
“You go see him,” Calvin said.
Walt stood up. “I was thinking with her just a little while ago. I don’t understand it.”
“I can think to you . . . some times.”
“I’ll be back,” Walt said.
*
At the steel ladder leading up toward the alien section, Walt stopped and pressed the emergency-audience button. He waited for permission to ascend the ladder. Under no circumstance would he have ascended without it. The permissive light blinked.
He began to climb. At the ceiling hatch, he grunted and pressed against it with his shoulders. The hatch lifted away. He continued upward. Gravity lessened. His feet made soft, rustling noises.
He paused to rest at the first landing. He was in familiar territory. Fierut let the mutants from the smaller compartment help clean the machinery there every month or so. The air smelled of crisp ozone and hot oil.
Then as he rested, he saw movement behind one of the huge, softly purring machines. Although he could not know this, it was a female from the larger compartment. Muscles knotting, he waited.
He saw her again—the merest glint of flesh. She had not seen him. He half crouched.
It is impossible, he told himself. Only my compartment-mates and Forential and others of his race are on the ship.
Walt did not even think of trying for telepathic contact. Blind hatred overcame him. She’s an earthling! he thought instinctively.
She has been left here for a test; that’s it, he thought. Forential is testing me . . . .
He crept cautiously toward her. Still she was unaware of him.
I will break her neck, so . . . .
No, he thought suddenly.
Forential has brought her here for questioning. He would be angry if I harmed her. He does not intend it for a test after all.
He crouched undecided, trying to think. I better leave her, he thought.
He was motionless, watching. If I killed her, he thought, Forential might be angry.
He slipped silently toward the ladder.
Perhaps, he thought, Forential will give her to me to dispose of when he finishes with her.
He remembered seeing Forential dispose of several captured earthlings. It was a very satisfying thing to watch. Forential promised us some, Walt thought, but he never gave us any. But I guess I was wrong in thinking he was too cowardly to risk another trip to Earth for them . . . .
Just as he reached the ladder, he whirled. The female had seen him. She had started toward him. His eyes sparkled in anticipation.
She’s a Lyrian! he thought in amazement.
Damned earthmen, she thought.
No, I . . . .
For a long moment they were motionless. Then Walt, keeping a suspicious eye on her until he was above the second ceiling continued to climb.
*
In the alien compartment, the gravity was so low that Walt almost floated. He propelled himself toward Forential’s cubicle.
“Come in,” Forential said, sensing him. Forential looked up when he entered.
“I saw a female Lyrian in the machinery room!” Walt blurted.
There was a moment of silence. Forential’s face grew a shade paler. “ . . . did she see you?”
Of course, Walt thought.
It was an effort for Forential to telepath in English. He preferred vocalizing. Staring at Walt with his faceted, unblinking eyes, he thought in his own language, a language earthlings were incapable of learning: **Lycan, you idiot! You told me the machinery room was clear! One of my charges has seen one of yours!**
**I have great regret,** Lycan answered. **I, I overlooked her.**
**We cannot risk the compartments discovering each other.** Forential thought angrily.
“This is not all,” Walt said. There is one on Earth!
Forential’s tentacles stiffened. What? It was almost involuntary: unbelieving: terrified.
“There is one on Earth. A female.”
**I have regretfully disposed of the one he saw,** Lycan telepathed. **Have you disposed of the one who saw her?**
**Send out a call for the Council!** Forential broadcast hysterically. **One more set of parents than we were aware of was