grandeur untold. He was left gasping and breathless by his single fleeting contact with the God he had long denied, but could deny no longer.
Spence bowed down before the Presence in all humility and surrender, acknowledging it as the first spontaneous act of worship he had ever performed. As he did so he knew that it knew him as a friend and that he had nothing to fear from it now or ever. He felt loads of guilt and shame roll away from him and he heard a voice inside his mind say, 'Hear me, son of dust. Why have you run so long and so hard? What were you trying to escape? Your running is over. Enter into my rest.'
'Yes, yes, yes,' Spence heard his heart reply. 'Please tell me how.'
'Trust me. Look for me, and then follow.'
Spence felt a rushing tide rise within himself flowing out toward the Presence, but still he knew the choice to be his alone. One word would halt the surge and stay it, or it would be released to flow forever without end.
'Yes,' said Spence. 'I will follow. Lead on.'
23
…
RAMM STRODE PURPOSEFULLY INTO the room where his men were assembled and waiting. The talk in the room died as the chief of security glared coolly around him.
'All right,' he said. 'This won't take long. I have just received orders to proceed to phase two of Operation Clean Sweep. Therefore, the escapees must be apprehended at once. Squad leaders, you are to double your efforts. I want every sector double-checked. Work around the clock if you have to. I want them found now!-before they have a chance to stir up any trouble. Got it?'
There was a grumble of assent. 'What are you waiting for? Move out!' said Ramm. The security force rose at once and proceeded to file out of the briefing room. In the guardroom beyond he could hear the squad leaders calling their groups together and organizing for a renewed search. He glanced around the empty room and then left by a side door.
When he arrived at AdSec he pushed his way past the receptionist and went directly into the director's office. Wermeyer's puzzled face glanced up from the wafer screen he had been gazing into.
'Well?' the former assistant asked, leaning back in his boss's chair.
'We haven't caught them yet, but we will. It's only a matter of time. After all, they can't go far.'
'Yes, well… see that you take care of it.'
'I can handle it, don't worry. How are things going on your end?'
'Running like clockwork. I was just looking over the projections for the completion of construction on the engine installation. We're right on schedule. Hocking thinks of everything.'
'Let's hope so.'
Wermeyer gave him a quick questioning look. 'What's that Supposed to mean?'
'Nothing. I'm just a little nervous about this, you know. Taking over an entire space station… I mean, it's never been done.'
'Relax and do your job and everything will go as planned. Did you get your orders?'
'Right. Phase two is in operation; I've already told my men. Any word when the machine will arrive?'
'Not yet. Hocking said to stand by. That's what we're doing.'
'How about the new master program?'
'Ready and waiting. MIRA won't know what hit her. All communication and operation functions will be under our control as soon as we are given the word. If anyone has any thoughts about signaling for help there won't be a thing they can do about it. As for resistance-'
'I'll handle any resistance. I don't expect there will be much. It's awful cold and lonely out there…' He nodded past Wermeyer toward the huge observation bubble and the stars glowing brightly beyond.
'Yes, well, let's hope it won't come to that.'
Ramm turned to leave. Before he reached the door he stopped and said, 'Let me know the minute Hocking checks in. We'll want to secure the docking bay in case Packer and his pilot friend have any ideas.'
'You let me know the minute you find them,' returned Wermeyer tartly. 'This has gone on long enough.' …
How LONG THE VISION lasted, Spence did not know. When he came to himself again the fire had died down to glowing embers and the moon had lowered in the treetops. Crickets chirped their trilling nightsong and the breeze down from the mountain slopes had freshened to a chill.
Gita lay curled near the remains of the campfire sound asleep, his turban resting on his outstretched arm. Adjani sat with his knees drawn up, head nodding on his chest. Kyr, his long thin legs crossed and his long arms wrapped around his narrow chest, sat gazing into the glowing coals which reflected in his great yellow eyes.
The effects of the Essila still tingled in Spence's limbs and pulsed in his brain; he still tasted a trace of sweetness on his lips. But the mingled rush of thoughts and emotions, of shared essences and spirits was gone.
'It is over,' said Spence quietly. The Martian turned his head to regard him intently.
'Yes, Earthbrother. All that remains is to thank the One who gave us the Essila that we might know each other more perfectly.'
'I will thank him the rest of my days,' said Spence. The memory of all that had taken place still burned within him, and he knew he would carry it with him always. 'Does it always have such power?'
'Sometimes more than others. The first time is the most overwhelming, but each time is different…' Kyr ran out of words to explain and fell silent. Spence understood that it was not a thing discussed and analyzed, only experienced and accepted. He wondered if the others had undergone the same thing he had.
The wind shifted then and Spence heard a sound that tripped a warning in his mind. 'Did you hear that?'
The alien cocked his head to one side. The nightsong continued to ripple through the forest undisturbed. 'I hear a great many things-all of which are new to me,' replied Kyr at length.
'Perhaps it was nothing but the wind-' began Spence, but he heard the sound again, this time more distinctly: a faint whirring buzz like the rustle of dead leaves on a tree. He knew what it was; he had heard it before. 'No! Not again!' he shouted, leaping up.
He stared up at the sky through the opening in the trees overhead and saw the outline of several black shapes sliding over them as the sound of those vibrating wings reached them with a dry hiss.
'We've got to get out of here!' cried Spence. 'The Dream Thief has found us!'
'What is it? What's happened?' Adjani sprang up at once.
'The demon is back-the Dream Thief's demon. I think there's more than one this time… Let's get out of here!'
Spence turned to rouse Gita, but Kyr scooped him up in one effortless motion and began striding off into the clearing toward the spacecraft.
Spence and Adjani hurried after him through the tall grass, glancing skyward as the sound of the dreadful buzzing increased.
They reached the vehicle as the first of Ortu's disciples swooped down. A voice in Spence's head said, Stop! Don't run!
Spence stopped and turned to see a creature touching down a few meters away. It looked at him with glowing green eyes and he saw its horrid, manlike face grimacing in the moonlight. It had huge membraned wings like a bat's attached to a human-looking torso that sprouted four arms. The lower half of the body resembled a serpent's-the thing looked exactly like the small charm Adjani had found.
Immediately another dark form came down behind it and another just off to one side. All stared at him malevolently with their hideous luminous eyes.
'Get in quickly!' Spence felt a touch on his shoulder and felt himself jerked around. 'Spence!' Adjani cried. 'Move!'
Adjani appeared before him, shouting at him, it seemed, from a great distance. He felt himself drawn toward
