"And your ship, as you have said to me, packs the armament of a light cruiser."
"Defensive, Marlene. Defensive. It is the right of any shipmaster or of any man to use any and every means available to defend his own ship, property or whatever."
"I have never liked guns," stated Lobenga, more or less changing the subject. "A hunt in which spears are used-that is to my taste." used-that is to my taste."
"Not to mine," said Grimes.
He took the weapon that Marlene handed him, examined it curiously. It was a shotgun, twin-barreled, light, but with just enough heft to it. Carefully keeping it pointed at the floor, he inspected the action, soon got the hang of it. "Two shots only," he commented, "and then you reload. Wouldn"t an automatic weapon be better?"
"Yes," said the Princess, "if all you want to do is kill things. But it would take away the necessity for real skill, would destroy any element of sport."
"But I thought that the whole idea of hunting was to kill things."
"You, John," she told him, "are the sort of man who would use grenades in a trout stream."
"However did you guess?" he countered.
"Mr. Grimes," sneered de Messigny, "is obviously unacquainted with the mystique mystique of huntin", shootin" and fishin". But I have no doubt, Marlene, that under your expert tutelage he will acquire a smattering." of huntin", shootin" and fishin". But I have no doubt, Marlene, that under your expert tutelage he will acquire a smattering."
"No doubt," she agreed coldly. "Now, John, you have your gun. I shouldn"t need to tell you about safety catches, pointing it at people and all the rest of it. Here"s your bag of cartridges." Grimes took it, slung it over his shoulder. "A miniwagon will accompany us to bring in the game we shoot and will also carry our refreshments. Are you ready?"
"Yes," he said.
He followed her out of the gun room.
"Good huntin"!" called the d.u.c.h.ess ironically.
As before, it was a beautiful morning. They strode out over the dew-spangled gra.s.s, the sunlight warm on their faces, the grim pile of the castle behind them. To one side and a little back trundled the miniwagon, a vehicle little more than a rectangular box on balloon tired wheels. No doubt it possessed a rudimentary intelligence as well as hidden capabilities. Overhead soared the watchbirds, and ahead, trotting sedately, was a pair of beautiful dogs, red- rather than brown-coated, their plumed tails upraised and waving.
They left the relatively short gra.s.s of the fields for rougher ground, gently undulating, with outcroppings of chalky rock (but limestone, thought Grimes, could not exist on this planet), with clumps of golden-blossoming gorse, of purple-flowered heather. The warm air was full of spicy scent, and the stridulation of unseen insects was a pleasant monotone.
Suddenly the Princess stopped, broke her gun, snapped two cartridges into the breech, clicked the weapon into a state of readiness. A little clumsily, Grimes followed suit. Then Marlene gave an order in a language with which Grimes was not familiar, and both dogs yelped softly in acknowledgment. They were away then, running between the boulders and the gorse clumps, tails in a rigid line with their bodies. They were away, something almost serpentine in their smooth, fluid motion, vanishing up the hillside.
There was an outburst of yapping, a surprisingly loud clatter of wings. Two gaudy birds rocketed up, levelled off and flew toward Grimes and the Princess. They were fast, fantastically fast, and their line of flight was unpredictable. The b.u.t.t of Marlene"s gun was to her shoulder and the twin barrels twitched gently as she lined up, leading the birds. There was a report, dull rather than sharp, and, a microsecond later, another one. Two bundles of ruined feathers fell to the ground. The miniwagon rolled toward them, extended a long, thin tentacle, picked up the bodies and dropped them into a receptacle at its rear.
"Nice shooting," said Grimes. He felt that it was expected of him.
"Yes," she agreed, without false modesty. "With the next pair we shall see how you can do."
Again the dogs gave voice, and again a couple of fire pheasants took to the air. Grimes was used to taking snapshots with a pistol, but never with a weapon like the one that he was holding now. But it was so well designed and balanced that it was almost part of him. He let go with his left barrel, felt the satisfaction of seeing a little explosion of scarlet and orange feathers as the shot struck home. But he was too slow with his right, and the surviving bird was darting away and clear before he could pull the trigger.
But it was coming back, flying straight toward him, steadily this time. Grimes fired, was sure that he had scored a hit, but the thing still came on steadily. Hastily, but without fumbling, he ejected and reloaded, fired again, both barrels in quick succession.
d.a.m.n it! he thought, he thought, the brute must be armour-plated! the brute must be armour-plated!
Again the ejection and the reloading but before he could bring the gun up to his shoulder, the Princess put out a hand to stop him.
"What the h.e.l.l are you playing at?" she blazed. "First you smash my watchbirds with your b.l.o.o.d.y dynosoar, and now you try to shoot them!"
"A...a watchbird?"
"What else?"
Yes, it was one of the watchbirds; now that he was no longer looking into the sun Grimes could see that. It circled them, its machinery humming, a few feet above their heads, then hovered there. From it came a voice, and some humorist had endowed the thing with a psittacoid squawk.
"Your Highness," it began.
"Yes. What is it?"
"Danger, Your Highness. The Monitor has informed me that a new model of protective avian, still in the experimental stage, has gotten out of control and is heading this way. It is liable to kill any human being on sight."
The Princess laughed. "Yes: I have heard of this new model. A fire pheasant"s brain has been incorporated and with it, perhaps, a certain resentment toward ourselves. But it will not be long before it is rounded up and destroyed."
"Hadn"t we better return to the Castle?" asked Grimes.
"If you"re afraid, yes."
"I am," he said frankly. "And shouldn"t we ride in the miniwagon?"
"No. We can walk as fast and run, if we must, faster."
"Your Highness," screeched the watchbird. "It approaches. We go to intercept."
And then a metallic flash in the almost still air and it was gone. Marlene shrugged, whistled the dogs and then, when they came bounding up, told Grimes, "All right. We beat a retreat. But we"d better be ready to fight a rearguard action."
Chapter 25.
They walked back toward the castle in silence, the miniwagon trundling along to their right, the setters to heel. Somehow, it seemed to Grimes, there was a sudden chill in the air, although the climbing sun still shone brightly, although there was only the gentlest of breezes. And the dogs, And the dogs, he thought, he thought, feel something too. feel something too. He looked back at the two animals. They were padding along in a cowed manner, their tails drooping. He looked back at the two animals. They were padding along in a cowed manner, their tails drooping.
Marlene said suddenly, angrily, "This is absurd!"
"How so?" asked Grimes.
"Running from a watchbird. They are designed to protect us, not to attack us."
"But,you heard what your your watchbird said. "It is liable to kill any human being on sight"." watchbird said. "It is liable to kill any human being on sight"."
"Any offplanet human being it must have meant. Such as you." She shrugged. "Well, you are my guest, after all. I am responsible for you." offplanet human being it must have meant. Such as you." She shrugged. "Well, you are my guest, after all. I am responsible for you."
"I"ve managed to look after myself, so far."
"Thank you. A truly gracious guest."
"And I want to look after you," he said.
She looked full at him then. Momentarily, the harsh lines of her face softened and then she smiled. "I believe that you mean that, John. In any case, some of that incredible luck of yours might rub off on me..." She paused, then went on. "Yes, you are lucky. But how will it end? You recall that story I told you about our family superst.i.tion, the consequences that always ensued if something is tried, stubbornly, for a fourth time? Well, I was not quite truthful. The third third attempt is the crucial one." attempt is the crucial one."
"It"s that way with me and with most people."
"Is it? Anyhow, three times I tried to bring about your accidental death and failed. I"m glad I failed. But something is bound to happen to me now. With that third failure some cataclysmic sequence of events was set in motion."
"Don"t be so b.l.o.o.d.y cheerful."
"This is a morbid conversation, isn"t it? As for what"s happening now, or what"s liable to happen, I have no doubt that my own two watchbirds will be able to deal with the rogue."
Grimes wished that he could share her confidence. After all, he had been instrumental in destroying two of the things. On the other hand, there had been a certain disparity in size and weight, two relatively flimsy, miniature flying machines against a re-entry vehicle.
One of the dogs whined. Grimes stopped, looked back and down. The animals had turned, around, had stiffened in the cla.s.sic pointing posture. He stared in the direction toward which they were staring, at first saw nothing. And then he could make out three distant specks in the clear sky, three dots apparently in frantic orbital motion about each other.
"Take these," said Marlene. She had got two pairs of binoculars from somewhere in the miniwagon, gave Grimes one of them. He slung his gun, lifted the high-powered gla.s.ses to his eyes. A mere touch of his finger sufficed to focus them.
It was like something from one of the History of Warfare films that the cadets had been shown at the Academy. It reminded him of an aerial dogfight-over the battlefields of Flanders in the Kaiser"s War. There was the rogue, larger than its a.s.sailants, brilliantly enameled in orange and scarlet. There were Marlene"s two watchbirds, metallically glittering in the sunlight. They were diving and feinting, soaring up and away, diving again. All that was missing was the rattle of machine-gun fire. Contemptuously, the experimental model bore on, ignoring its smaller adversaries. And then one of them, coming up from below while its companion drove in from above, struck the rogue at the juncture of starboard wing with body, oversetting it. It fell out of control, almost to the ground, and then with a frantic fluttering of gaudy pinions somehow made a recovery. There was a burst of bright flame at its tail, a puff of smoke. It went up, almost vertically, like a rocket.
It was a rocket, a rocket with a brain and with the instincts of a bird of prey...and with the armament, miniaturized but still deadly, of a minor warship.
The two watchbirds, which had gained alt.i.tude, plunged to meet it. From the nose of the rogue came an almost invisible flicker, and the nearer of the airborne guardians burst at once into flames, exploded in blinding blue fire. The other one was. .h.i.t, too, but only part of its tail was shorn away. It dived racing its burning companion to the surface, recovered and came up again. The rogue spread its wings and turned in the air to meet the attack.
The watchbird climbed slowly, slowly, unsteadily. It must have been damaged more than superficially by the slashing blade of radiation that had almost missed it. But still it climbed, and the rogue just hung there, waiting, swinging about its short axes, deliberately sighting.
There was another flicker from the vicinity of its beak, and its crippled antagonist was no more (and no less) than a bundle of coruscating, smoking wreckage drifting groundwards.
"Laser..." whispered Grimes. "The b.l.o.o.d.y thing"s got laser!"
"We must run!" For the first time there was fear in Marlene"s voice, the fear of one who has seen her impregnable defenses fall before superior, overwhelming fire power. Grimes knew how she must feel. He had felt the same way himself, as everybody has felt when faced with the failure of foolproof, everything everything proof mechanisms. "We must run!" proof mechanisms. "We must run!"
"Where to? That thing"ll pick us off faster than you picked off the fire pheasants." He grabbed her arm before she could stumble away in panic flight. "Cover!" he shouted. "That"s the answer."
"The miniwagon!" So she was thinking again.
"No." He could visualize the thing"s machinery exploding as the mechanism of the watchbirds had exploded. He pulled her to one of the outcroppings of rock, about five feet high. It wasn"t very good but it was better than nothing. He and the girl dropped behind it as the rogue screamed over, using its rocket drive, firing its laser gun. There was an explosion of smoke and dust and splinters from the top of the boulder.
"Quick!" cried Grimes. "Before it can turn!" He got to his feet, yanked the girl to hers, dragged her around to the other side of the outcropping. He unslung his gun. His pistol would not have been a better weapon, it didn"t have the range or the spread. There was always the chance that the shotgun pellets would find some vital spot. It was a slim one, he knew, but...
The rogue seemed to be having trouble in turning. It came round at last, lined up for the natural fortification (such as it was). It drove in, its laser beam scoring a smoldering furrow in the turf. Unless it lifted its sights, Grimes knew that he was safe until the last moment, or he hoped hoped that he was safe. He stood his ground. that he was safe. He stood his ground.
Now!
A left and a right, the noise of the explosions deafening and he dropped to the ground, his ears still ringing, but he was able to hear the sharp crack crack of riven rock, felt a gust of heat. of riven rock, felt a gust of heat.
He scrambled to his feet. This time he did not have to help the girl up. Together they ran around the clump of weatherworn boulders. Grimes half-tripped over something soft, which yelped. The dogs were still with them.
He stood there, reloading.
From the ground Marlene said, "You hit it, John."
"Yes. I hit it. Like hitting a dreadnaught with a peashooter. Keep down. Here comes the b.a.s.t.a.r.d again!"
It seemed to be slower this time and erratic in its flight. The wavering laser beam started a flaring, crackling fire in the gorse. But it straightened up toward the finish of its run, came in fast. Grimes let fly with both barrels at once and dropped hastily. The Princess s.n.a.t.c.hed the smouldering cap off his head.
"John! John! Are you...?"
"I"m all right. My brains are no more addled than usual. Come on!"
Like a game of musical chairs, he thought. he thought. And, somebody has to be the loser... And, somebody has to be the loser...
This last time it came in slowly, using wings and not reaction drive. And its laser seemed to be out of action. It came in slowly, a mechanical bird of prey, climbing, finally hanging directly above the man and the girl and the two cringing dogs, high, but not too high to be a good target.
As we, thought Grimes, thought Grimes, are good targets for its bombs, if it carries any. are good targets for its bombs, if it carries any.
Standing, he could not bring his gun to bear, so lay supine, the weapon aimed directly upwards. The air in the shallow hollow was blue with acrid smoke and the turf was littered with empty sh.e.l.ls as Grimes fired again and again and again, as the Princess matched him shot for shot. Something hot stung his cheek; it was a pellet from his own gun or from Marlene"s. They must be falling all over this circ.u.mscribed area like a metallic hail.
One of the dogs cried out sharply; it must have been hit and hurt by the fall of shot. Yelping, its tail between its legs, it dashed out from the barely adequate shelter of the outcropping. Its companion followed it. Then, screaming, the rogue dived. Grimes scrambled erect somehow, kept the b.u.t.t of the shotgun to his shoulder, led the thing as it plunged and let it have both barrels.
Perhaps he hit again, perhaps he did not, but it made no difference. The killer bird swooped down upon the leading dog, and its long, straight beak (rapier as well as laser gun) skewered the hapless animal just behind the ribs, hooked it up from the ground, shrieking, and then with a peculiar midair twisting motion tossed it up and away. The body, its legs still running in nothingness, fell against a rock with an audible crunch, crunch, and then was still. and then was still.
The other setter howled dismally, kept on running, but it could never be as fast as the rogue. It almost made the protection of a clump of gorse, and then the murderous machine was on it. This time it did not use its blood-dripping beak. It banked, like an old-fashioned aircraft, and the leading edge of one stiff wing slashed the animal across the hindquarters. Howling still, it tried to drag itself along with its forelegs.
Marlene was saying something. "I must go, John. I must put him out of his misery."
He caught her arm. "No. Don"t be a fool."
She shook him off. "I must. must. Cover me." Cover me."
She was running out over the uneven turf, slipping and staggering. Grimes dropped his shotgun, pulled the pistol from his pocket, started after her. The rogue reached her before he did. She screamed as the deadly beak grazed her shoulder, tearing a ragged square of fabric out of her shirt; she fell to her hands and knees. But she was up again, still staggering toward her dying dog, then knocked sprawling by buffeting metal wings. Again there was the thrust of the rapier beak, and this time most of the back of her upper garment was carried away on the point of it.
I must fire, must fire, thought Grimes, thought Grimes, before it gets too close to her. In case it blows up. before it gets too close to her. In case it blows up. The rattle of the Minetti set on full automatic, was startlingly loud, and the b.u.t.t vibrated in the moist palm of his hand. The rogue, obligingly, was making a good target of itself (it The rattle of the Minetti set on full automatic, was startlingly loud, and the b.u.t.t vibrated in the moist palm of his hand. The rogue, obligingly, was making a good target of itself (it must must have been damaged by all the shotgun fire) slowly turning broadside on before coming in for another attack. have been damaged by all the shotgun fire) slowly turning broadside on before coming in for another attack.
Grimes ejected the empty clip, put in a full one. He was firing more slowly and carefully now, in short bursts. Then, anticlimactically, the rogue fluttered , slowly to the ground. There was no explosion, only a thin trickle of blue smoke. He watched it for a second, then hurried to Marlene. She was sitting up now, only a few shreds of ruined shirt clinging to her torso. There was a trickle of blood from her right shoulder. slowly and carefully now, in short bursts. Then, anticlimactically, the rogue fluttered , slowly to the ground. There was no explosion, only a thin trickle of blue smoke. He watched it for a second, then hurried to Marlene. She was sitting up now, only a few shreds of ruined shirt clinging to her torso. There was a trickle of blood from her right shoulder.
She waved him away, pointing. "Bruno. First you must...do what is necessary for him..."
He did it. A single shot from the Minetti sufficed. Then he walked slowly back to her, fell on his knees beside her.
"Marlene! You"re hurt..."
"Only a scratch. But for you I...I could have been killed."
And when you"re a near-immortal, he thought, he thought, death can be important. But, death can be important. But, for the first time perhaps, he could see her point of view, could feel with her and for her. Suddenly there was a warmth between them, a warmth that, until now, had been lacking. It could be that it was shared fear that brought-them together, shared peril. It could be that, at last, there was the admission of a common humanity. for the first time perhaps, he could see her point of view, could feel with her and for her. Suddenly there was a warmth between them, a warmth that, until now, had been lacking. It could be that it was shared fear that brought-them together, shared peril. It could be that, at last, there was the admission of a common humanity.
But her arms were about him and her face, grimy and tear-stained was lifted to his, and his arms were about her, and her mouth on his was soft and warm and moist, and suddenly all barriers were down, scattered like the clothing that littered the turf around them, and the sun was warm on their naked bodies, although never as warm as the heat of their own mutual generating...