The Godmen

'Yet Dundonald spoke with him,” persisted Harlow. “He spoke with him of the Vorn.'

The ruddy torches flared steady and unshaken but it was as though a cold wind swept through the group of golden men when they heard that name.

And N'Kann threw up an arm free of his barbaric bright robe, and gestured with it toward the black sky, spangled by stars across which the dark blot of the mighty Horsehead Cloud sprawled like a brooding cosmic octopus.

'My people do not talk of the Wanderers — no!'

So the Vorn were also called the Wanderers here? Harlow filed that fact mentally, and pressed another question.

'Why? Are you afraid of them?'

The flash in N'Kann's eyes was dangerous. “We do not fear any men. Certainly not Earthmen.'

'Then the Vorn are not men?'

'I will not talk of them.” N'Kann's voice rose, heavy with rage. “They come and they go from star to star as they wish, and it is their right, and it is not for us to speak of them. Nor for you, Earthman — nor for you!'

The little group muttered agreement, and from all along the torchlit row of men there was a movement toward Harlow. Hands were under their short robes now, and he knew they had weapons in their grasp.

He had no weapon, nor if he had could he have used one. The law of the Star Survey was iron on that point. If you went to another people's world and flashed Earth weapons, court-martial awaited you.

'I say again that we wish no more talk of the Vorn!” cried N'Kann. “And that by tomorrow's sunrise, your ship must be gone.'

Harlow knew that he had failed. He had not found even the first clue to Dundonald's trail, and if he left ML- 441 now, he would never find one. Yet they were not going to let him into the town again to look for Brai, that was clear.

He turned and walked back into the darkness of the plain. He heard low, fierce voices behind him, and the timbre of them made him think that he had been lucky to get away from them unscathed.

But had he got away yet? The torches were soon well behind him, and the lights of the Thetis a half mile ahead, when Harlow's ears picked up a stealthy sound from behind. A sound of quiet running.

He turned quickly. He could see nothing. Whoever came was being careful not to show himself against the distant torches.

So they had decided not to wait out their own ultimatum, and had sent someone after him? Harlow felt anger rise in him. He had no weapon. But they were not going to hunt down an Earthman in the dark like this.

Too far, to call to the Thetis. His only chance was in counter-surprise. He went down on one knee and poised waiting, listening.

He heard the soft, fast footsteps come closer, and just glimpsed a flitting darker shadow against the dark.

Harlow lunged and crashed into the runner, hard.

CHAPTER II

They rolled over and over together in the dark. Then Harlow, grabbing fiercely for his antagonist, got a surprise. It was a girl.

He held onto her by her smooth bare shoulders, but now she managed to speak in a quick, panting whisper.

'I am not your enemy. Please!'

It took him a moment to speak; he had to think of the Ktashan words he had learned, and for that moment he stood gripping her. Back at the edge of the town the torches were moving, and they struck a fitful gleam that showed Harlow the short-robed figure and clear, golden young face of the girl.

'Who are you and why did you follow me?” he demanded.

'You look for Brai?” she said breathlessly.

Harlow was instantly alert. “I want to talk to him, that's all. Do you know him?'

'I am Yrra,” said the girl. “I am Brai's sister.'

Harlow took his hands off her. He glanced back toward the moving torches, but they were moving into the town, not toward him. Yet he was sure there were still watchers there, and he kept his voice down when he spoke.

'I was beginning to doubt whether there was a Brai. Where is he?'

Yrra talked in a rush that he could hardly understand. “They are holding him a prisoner. N'Kann and the Council. He was already under disapproval, and when your ship came they seized him and hid him away.'

'For God's sake, why?'

'So that he could not talk to you of the Vorn as he had talked to the other Earthman,” she answered.

'To Dundonald?” Harlow felt a kindling excitement. “Listen, Yrra — what did your brother tell Dundonald? About the Vorn, I mean.'

She was silent a moment. “There are only legends. That is all Brai knew, all any of us know.'

'But the legends? Do they speak of where the Vorn come from, where their native star is?'

'Yes. They do,” she said. “It is said that long ago some of the Vorn who came to our world spoke in their own way — with some of our people, and told them things.'

'Then you know as much as your brother on that point!” Harlow said. “Good. You can tell me what he told Dundonald, about the origin-world of the Vorn.'

'I will not tell you,” said Yrra flatly.

'Why not? You mean you're superstitious too about the Vorn?'

Her reply was edged with pride. “We are not all as backward here as N'Kann. My brother is a student and a thinker. He would like to see our world become more civilized. That is why he talked so eagerly to the other Earthman — Dundonald.'

'All right, so you're not superstitious,” Harlow said impatiently. “Then why won't you tell me?'

She caught his arm. “Listen, Earthman—'

'The name is Harlow,” he interrupted. “Go ahead.'

'It is this, Harlow. I am afraid for my brother. They said N'Kann and the others — that he was only locked up to keep him from talking with you, that he would be released when you left. But I fear that in their superstitious anger, they may kill him.'

'Go on,” said Harlow.

'Help me set Brai free,” said Yrra coolly. “Then he and I will tell you all that is known about the Vorn.'

Harlow felt his momentary hopes wither. “It's no good,” he said. “It can't be done; we're not allowed to interfere with local law and justice. Anyway, where would your brother go? They'd just grab him again when we left.'

'There are other towns and people on this world beside Ktasha,” said the girl. “Brai and I will go to one of them. Our parents are dead, there's only the two of us.'

Harlow shook his head. “I don't blame you for trying to break him out but it's no deal. We can't use force, it's against our orders and anyway, we're about to be run out as it is.'

'There would be no need of fighting!” Yrra said earnestly. “I know where he is, all I need is help to slip him out of there.” She added, “Unless you do so you will learn nothing.'

Harlow felt trapped. The rules of the Star Survey were rigid. Its men were allowed to defend themselves but not to barge into other peoples’ worlds and throw their weight around. From the very start, it had been a basic tenet that Earth's sudden leap into space was not to be used for crude imperialism.

And yet if he left ML-441 without a single clue to Dundonald's trail, without an inkling of where Dundonald had gone in his search for the Vorn, he would have to go home and report failure. It was a long way back to Sol, for that.

'I just don't see how—” Harlow began, and then was stricken dumb by a startling interruption.