United States or Niue ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
The bright green eyes remained closed. "That may be so. Yes, Sepastian, I honestly think you believe that." "I do," said MacMaine, and shot him carefully through the head. The End and Epilogue. "Hold it!" The voice bellowed thunderingly from the loud-speakers of the six Earth ships that had boxed in the derelict. "Hold it! Don't bomb that ship!
"Brace up, Sepastian," he said gently in Kerothic. "You've done a beautiful job. I still can't believe it, but I'll have to admit that if this is an act it's a beautiful one." He gestured toward the small desk in one corner of the room and the big package that was sitting on it. "The food is all there. I'll have to eat sparingly, but I can make it. Now, what's the rest of the plan?"
You fought hard and well for Keroth, Sepastian, and, in doing so, you had to kill many of your own race. It is not easy for a man to do, no matter how much your reason tells you it must be done. And now, in the face of death, remorse has come. I do not completely understand the workings of the Earthman's mind, but I " "That's just it; you don't," MacMaine interrupted.
Tallis knew at that moment that he was looking at the face of Death. And he also knew that there was nothing whatever he could do about it. Except talk. And listen. "Very well, Sepastian," he said levelly. "Go ahead. Treason, you say? How? Against whom?" "I'm not quite sure," said Sebastian MacMaine. "I thought maybe you could tell me." The Reason
MacMaine could no more smoke a Kerothi cigarette than Tallis could smoke tobacco, but the two were remarkably similar in their effects. The "surprise" had been delivered. Now, as was proper, Tallis would move adroitly all around the subject until he was ready to return to it again. "You have been with us ... how long, Sepastian?" he asked. "Two and a third Kronet." Tallis nodded.
Behind him, General Tallis was saying, "You've done well, Sepastian. Better than anyone could have really expected. Three battles so far, and every one of them won by a margin far greater than anticipated. Any ideas that anyone may have had that you were not wholly working for the Kerothi cause has certainly been dispelled." "Thanks, Tallis." MacMaine turned to look at the Kerothi officer.
Tallis looked at him for a long moment. Then, "All right, Sepastian. I'm no psych man, but I know you're not well. I'll listen to whatever you have to say. But first, untie my hands and feet." "I can't do that, Tallis. Sorry. But if our positions were reversed, I know what I would do to you when I heard the story. And I can't let you kill me, because there's something more that has to be done."
Tallis shook his head. "You sent no message, Sepastian. You were watched. You know that. You could not have sent a message." "You saw me send it," MacMaine said. "So did everyone else in the fleet. Hokotan helped me send it made all the arrangements at my orders. But because you do not understand the workings of the Earthman's mind, you didn't even recognize it as a message.
The moment I feel that you are not acting for the best interests of Keroth, I will act not only to protect myself, but to protect my people." "That's fair enough," MacMaine said. "But how about the others?" "I cannot speak for my fellow officers only for myself." Then Tallis' voice became cold. "Just keep your hands clean, Sepastian, and all will be well.
"I can't help but feel that this is some sort of trick, but if it is, I can't see through it. Why are you doing this, Sepastian?" "You may not understand this, Tallis," MacMaine said evenly, "but I am fighting for freedom. The freedom to think." The Traitor Convincing the Kerothi that he was in earnest was more difficult than MacMaine had at first supposed.
Word Of The Day