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Updated: June 24, 2025
Wherever those sparks touched rock or ground they flared up in tall thin columns of fire, lighting up the nightmare on the rocks and up the ledges. Rynch fired the needler, Hume's ray tube flashed and flashed again. Things squealed, or grunted, or died silently, while clawing to reach the upper ledges. He could not be sure of the nature of some of those things.
Retief released Zorn's arm, pushed him away, stooped and picked up the needler. "I could kill you, Zorn. You know that." "Go ahead!" Retief reversed the needler, held it out. "I'm a gambler too, Zorn. I'm gambling you'll listen to what I have to say." Zorn snatched the gun, stepped back. He looked at Retief. "That wasn't the smartest bet you ever made, Mister; but go ahead.
"Short-jacket greens; I can carry a needler with that uniform, even wear it at the table. I don't think it's smart for me to run around unarmed, even on Home Time Line. Especially on Home Time Line," he amended. "When's this affair going to start, and how long will Rendarra take to get that goo off you?"
Kramer thought about going for his needler. I looked at him through narrowed eyes. He decided to rely on his mouth, as usual. He licked his lips. "All right, I'm under arrest," he said. "But as Medical Officer of this vessel it's my duty to remind you that you can't live without a certain minimum of fresh organic food. We've got to start back now." He was pale, but determined.
Then, after checking the window-shielding and activating the outside viewscreens, he lit a cheroot and sat down at the desk, his goblet and his needler in front of him, to wait until the servants were gone. There was only one way out alive. He knew that, and yet he needed brandy, and a great deal of mental effort, to steel himself for it. Psycho-rehabilitation was a dreadful thing to face.
Jellico wriggled toward the bush in answer to a low call from Asaki, and the others made a worm's progress in his wake. Under cover they found the Chief Ranger readying his needler. "Poacher camp here," he explained bleakly. "And they know about us." "A perfect end to a stinking day," remarked Tau dispassionately. "We might have guessed something of this sort was waiting."
He goes, or we draw his fangs or else all that I am, all I have labored here to build, will be swept away. To preserve this I will use any weapon." "And I am now your weapon, which you hope will be as successful as that needler you are carrying." Tau laughed again, without much humor. "Let us hope I shall prove as effective." Jellico moved out of the shadows.
"Not that I'm any physical threat to a Sandeman, whether I'm armed or not. If I went for my gun, I'd be dead before I could get it halfway out of the holster." "True," Ryan agreed. "That sounds like you've seen it tried." "Close; I've demonstrated it. But I made sure the Sandeman was using a stun setting on his needler." Ryan chuckled.
"So much for the word of a diplomat." Retief looked at the short-barreled needler in Zorn's hand. "I see you hedge your bets, Zorn," he said. "We'll wait here," Zorn said, "until the excitement's over inside. I wouldn't want to attract any attention right now." "Your politics are still lousy, Zorn. The picture hasn't changed. Your coup hasn't got a chance." "Skip it.
Rynch edged forward, watching the mist on the water, his brain striving to solve this other puzzle as neatly as he thought he had discovered the reason for his scrambled memories and his being on Jumala. The mist was an added danger. Thick enough and those watchers could move in under its curtain. A needler was efficient, yes, but it could wipe out only an enemy at which it was aimed.
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