‘Oh, yes. Covert Cystallites. Why, I’ve been hearing about this assassination business from covert Crystallites for some time. Yes. I must let Justin know. He’ll pull his men in and then I think I’ll take mine out on maneuvers tonight. Out, but not too far out.’
‘Do that,’ agreed Rheme, drily. ‘Just be sure I’ve got a way to reach you.’
During the night, a fog came up. When morning arrived, there were cottony mists hiding the environs of Splash One. At the building on the outskirts of the city, which had been remodeled for their use, members of the CHASE Commission and various observers from the PEC got out of bed, looked through their windows, and sighed. Many of them had not slept particularly well. There had been strange tremors in the night, shiverings and rollings. Not enough to panic anyone, but enough to rouse some and cause bad dreams in others.
On a usual morning breakfast would be served on the terrace. On a foggy morning like this, the somber dining room would probably be substituted, to no one’s satisfaction. In preparation for this event, and others that would follow, members washed themselves and cleaned their teeth, scratched themselves and engaged in other, moreindividual, wake-up practices. Some of the commission members considered what findings they would give. Others didn’t bother. In their cases, the findings had already been paid for and needed no consideration.
Among the ancillary personnel, and of those last to arrive on Jubal, was a tall, moustached gentleman of unmistakable military bearing, who openly carried PEC observer identification. There was another, rather different set of papers in a hidden compartment in his travelling case. This morning as part of his preparation for the day, this observer removed the papers from hiding and transferred them to a breast pocket, where they would be readily available. They bore, on the lower left-hand corner, the linked ellipses that were the sign of CHAIN.
Outside of town on a low hill, Tasmin got off his mule and helped Clarin down as well. Donatella had not yet arrived, but they expected her shortly.
‘Foggy,’ said Clarin.
‘He said it would be.’
‘Why do you call him he?’ she asked. ‘I mean, why do you call it he?’
‘I don’t know. It had a deep voice. Mostly. I guess that’s why.’
‘I guess that’s why I did, too. Then I got mad at myself for doing it.’
‘Do you think the new one is ready?’
‘He … it … the Black Tower said it would be.’
‘What’s its name?’
‘Nobody said. I guess we’ll ask it.’
‘Where’s Bondri?’ Tasmin asked.
‘Could be anywhere. Most likely is anywhere. He’ll come when we call him. He says.’
‘I kept thinking the viggies were going to reinstitute the taboo.’
‘Not after their Great Ones told them not to. According to Bondri, our whole tribe has become a debt of honor, Tasmin.’
‘Tribe?’
‘Tripsingers. Explorers. Us. We’re the good guys.’
‘The bad guys have all the guns, though.’ He was staring at the city before him, a thoughtful look on his face.
‘What are you thinking about?’
‘Donatella’s lover. Link. She told the giligees about him. They may be able to fix him.’
‘I wonder if the debt would extend that far.’
‘No. They sang about that for quite a while and decided it was a private matter. They have a word for private reproductive or affectional matters, but I’ve forgotten what it is. Anyhow, she’d have to pay for it.’
‘With what?’
‘Meat. Bantigons, I guess. They say they like bantigon. Hell, so do I.’
‘Look. The fog is burning off,’ she said.
They watched as the slow veils lifted. Donatella rode up beside them and joined the quiet scrutiny.
‘There it is,’ whispered Clarin.
‘Where?’
‘Over there. A kind of greenish shadow between us and the residence where the CHASE people are.’
‘God! It’s so big I didn’t even see it.’
‘With the top of it hidden that way, it looks like a huge new building, sort of.’
As the fog rose, the new Presence came clearly into view. Green as new grass in the dim light, growing more glowingly emerald as the mist burned away. Two hundred feet high, perhaps. A narrow tower of living crystal in which the light danced and played.
They didn’t grow it that fast!’
‘No, it’s been there, deep down. They pushed it up from underneath, according to Bondri.’ Donatella yawned, shaking her head.
‘Without an earthquake?’
‘According to Bondri, just a few shivers.’
‘Where did you see Bondri?’
‘He’s back there,’ Donatella gestured. ‘He says he’ll come out later on. Right now he and the troupe want to watch and sing, so they can remember it right!’
When it became obvious the fog was burning away, the manager of the hostelry told the dining room supervisor to serve breakfast on the terrace as usual. The supervisor set up the tables and the buffet, never lifting her eyes from the level of utensils and plates. The commission members and observers, when they arrived, sought hot drinks and companionship. Fog still lay mistily above them, a low ceiling of shifting veils that hid any distant view. It was several minutes before the gentleman of military bearing, who was somewhat older and less gregarious than the rest, said in a tone of astonishment, ‘Was that there yesterday?’
The others looked out and then up, seeing a bulky structure nearby, its top hidden in the fog. They continued to stare as the mists shifted away, perceiving the crystal tower for the first time. It wasn’t a building, as some of them had assumed when they had subconsciously noticed the bulk. It wasn’t a building, and it hadn’t been there the day before.
Some of the members, those who had been paid to bring in certain, predetermined findings, began to entertain horrible suspicions.
These suspicions were verified a moment later.
‘Good morning, members of the CHASE Commission and observers from the Planetary Exploitation Council,’ caroled the looming green tower in impeccably articulated harmonic fifths.
