Giansar, Polaris, Thuban, even as recently as Jamivetta and Kyril–he had been conscious of nothing quixotic, nothing ridiculous in his voyaging.
Now Margaret's image had begun to blur–but blurred as it was he heard the tinkling chime of her laugh.
With a sudden flush of embarrassment he knew that she would find a great deal of amusement in the tale of his venturings–as well as astonishment, incredulity and perhaps the faintest hint of scorn.
Elfane was regarding him curiously. He came back to the present. Strange, how solid and real she seemed in contrast to his thought-waifs. Elfane would find nothing amusing in a man roaming the universe for love of her. On the contrary she would be indignant if such were not the case.
«What will you do on Ballenkarch then?» she asked.
Joe rubbed his chin, stared out at the shifting stars. «I guess I'll look up Harry Creath.»
«And where will you look for him?»
«I don't know. I'll try the civilized continent first.»
«None of Ballenkarch is civilized.»
«The least barbarian continent, then!» said Joe patiently. «If I know Harry, he'll be in the thick of things.»
«And if he's dead?»
«Then I'll turn around and go home with my conscience clear.»
Margaret would say, «Harry dead?» And he saw the pert lift of her round chin. «In that case he loses by default. Take me, my chivalrous lover, sweep me away in your white spaceboat.»
He stole a glance at Elfane, became aware of a tart flowering incense she was wearing. Elfane was galvanic with life and thought and wonder. She took life and emotion seriously. Of course Margaret had a lighter touch, an easier laugh, was not intent on killing enemies of her religion. Religion? Joe laughed shortly. Margaret barely recognized the word.
«Why do you laugh?» Elfane asked suspiciously.
«I was thinking of an old friend,» said Joe.
Ballenkarch! A world of fierce gray storms and bright sunlight. A world of blazing color and violent landscape–of rock palisades like walls across the sky–of forests, dim, tall, sequestered–of savannahs ankle-deep in the greenest of grass, coursed by slow mighty rivers. In the low latitudes jungles crowded and jostled, trod under the weaker growths, built up mile after mile of humus until at last the elevation so created acted as a brake on their vitality.
And among the mountain passes, through the forests, wandering across the plains, rolled the Ballenkart clans in caravans of brightly-painted wains. They were great bull-voiced men in armor of steel and leather, wasting their blood in vendetta and duel.
They lived in an atmosphere of epic–of raids, massacres, fights with tall black jungle bipeds, fearsome and semi-intelligent. For weapons they used swords, lances, a portable arbalest which flung fist-size stones. Their language, divorced from the current of galactic civilization a thousand years, was a barely understandable pidgin and they wrote in pictographs.
The
A rude pavilion of logs and corrugated metal served as depot and waiting room and when the
Joe asked Hableyat, «Where is the city?»
Hableyat chuckled. «The Prince won't allow a ship any closer to his main settlements for fear of slavers.
These burly Ballenkarts are much in demand on Frums and Perkins for bodyguards.»
The port was opened to the outdoors. Fresh air, smelling of damp earth, swept into the ship. The steward announced to the saloon, «Passengers wishing to alight may do so. You are cautioned not to leave the vicinity of the ship until transportation has been arranged to Vail-Alan.»
Joe looked around for Elfane. She was speaking vehemently to the two Druid missionaries and they listened with expressions of mulish obstinacy. Elfane became enraged, jerked away, marched white-faced to the port and outside. The Druids followed, muttering to each other.
Elfane approached the driver of the eight-wheeled vehicle. «I wish to be conveyed to Vail-Alan at once.»
He looked at her without expression. Hableyat touched her elbow. «Priestess, an air-car shortly will arrive to convey us a great deal faster than this vehicle.»
She turned, walked swiftly away. Hableyat leaned close to the driver, who whispered a few sentences. Hableyat's face changed in the slightest degree–a twitch of a muscle, a deepening of his jowl-crease. He saw Joe watching, instantly became businesslike and the driver was once more blank-faced.
Hableyat moved off by himself in a preoccupied manner. Joe joined him. «Well»–sardonically–»what's the news?»
Hableyat said, «Very bad–very bad indeed–»
«How so?»
Hableyat hesitated an instant, then blurted in as frank an exhibition of emotion as Joe had seen him express, «My opponents at home are much stronger with the Lathbon than I knew. Magnerru Ippolito himself is at Vail-Alan. He has reached the Prince and evidently has uttered some unsavory truths regarding the Druids. So now I learn that plans for a Druid cathedral and monastery have been abandoned and that Wanbrion, a Sub-Thearch, is guarded closely.»
In exasperation Joe surveyed the portly Hableyat. «Well, isn't that what you want? Certainly a Druid advising the Prince wouldn't help the Mangs.»
Hableyat shook his head sadly. «My friend, you are as easily gulled as my militant countrymen.»
«I suppose I'm dense.»
Hableyat held his hands out from his sides as if revealing all to Joe by the gesture. «It's so obvious.»
«Sorry.»
«In this manner–the Druids plan to assimilate Ballenkarch to themselyes. My opponents on Mangtse, learning of this intent, rush forward to oppose it tooth and nail. They will not consider implications, probable eventualities. No, since it is a Druid scheme it must be countered. And with a program which, in my opinion, will seriously embarrass Mangtse.»
«I see what you're driving at,» said Joe, «but not how it works.»
Hableyat faced him with an amused expression. «My dear fellow, human reverence is by no means infinite. I would say that the Kyril Laity lavish the maximum on their Tree. So–what will be the reaction to news of another divine Tree?»
Joe grinned. «It will cut their reverence toward the first tree in half.»
«Naturally I am unable to estimate the diminution but in any event it will be considerable. Doubt, heresy, will find ears and the Druids will notice that the Laity is no longer unquestioning and innocent. They identify themselves now with the Tree. It is theirs, unique of its kind, solitary in the universe.
«Then–suddenly another Tree exists on Ballenkarch –planted by the Druids and there are rumors that its presence is politically motivated.» He raised his eyebrows expressively.
«But the Druids, by controlling Ballenkarch and these new industries, can still wind up on the credit side.»
Hableyat shook his head. «My friend, Mangtse is potentially the weakest world of the three. That's the crux of the entire matter. Kyril has its manpower, Ballenkarch has the mineral and agricultural wealth, an aggressive population, a warlike tradition. In any association of worlds Ballenkarch eventually will be the cannibal mate devouring his spouse.
«Think of the Druids–the epicures, the sophisticated masters of five billion slaves. Picture them trying to
