Rynason at the screen for only a moment; he and ran to the room.
“Let’s those up! Mara’s them, but they’ve her down.” He was already going out the door as he spoke.
Manning and the others were right him as he out onto the field. Rynason for the nearest flyer, a small which had been as on the worlds and to use out here on the Edge, where was scarce. He through the port and was the door when Manning it.
“Where are they? What’s to the woman?”
“They were something!” Rynason snapped. The knife-scar over his right out in his anger. “She crashed—may be hurt. She didn’t have too much altitude, though. The with where she is—follow me!”
He the door and into the seat. While he the he saw the others across the to the other flyers. In a moment the of the told him that their were open. He saw the of the other starting to turn, and on his mike.
“They’re on the other of the south range,” he said quickly. “She didn’t give me coördinates, but I should be able to the spot. When we there, we land away from the city and go in on foot.”
Manning’s voice came through the radioset: “Are you orders now, Lee?”
“Right now I am, yes! If you want to try going in reconnoitering, that’s your funeral. They have weapons.”
“When we touch ground again I’ll take over,” Manning said. “Now let’s going—Lee, you’re first.”
But Rynason was already starting his across the field. When he had some speed he in the and the little skyward. When he had the air he and the all he had. He didn’t look around for the others; he was setting his own pace.
The range was ten miles to the south; they should be able to make it in five or six minutes, he figured. Below him on the Flat he saw the of his across the dust. The of the the compartment.
The radio cut in again. It was Manning. “What’s this about a city, Lee? Is that where they are?”
“The City of the Temple,” Rynason said. “It’s among rocks—no wonder we hadn’t it before. Doesn’t to have been used for centuries or more. But that’s where the Temple of Kor is—and the Hirlaji are all in the Temple.”
Static at him for a moment. “How did they her down?” someone asked. It like Stoworth.
“Probably the disintegrators,” Rynason said. “The Hirlaji don’t have many of them, but they’ve got power to give us a of trouble.”
“And they’re using them, eh?” Manning said. “What do you think of your now, Lee?”
Rynason didn’t answer.
In a minutes they were over the range. Rynason had to for he the pass he had on Mara’s screen, but once he saw it him he it out to the other side. The city was there, the of the mountains. Rynason off and set a mile away.
He waited for the others to land he left the flyer. He took a pair of from the supply and them on the city across the Flat, but he couldn’t Mara’s flyer.
When they were all he out of the and in the dust. Manning to him, stunners. He took one from its and it as he spoke.
“The main party was in the pass. They should be here an hour. We’ll the temple immediately—we’ve got them outnumbered.”
Rynason a in his throat, looking out at the city. He was that he had it from this Flat … and had it before. The were high.
“They can fire on us from the walls,” he said in a low voice. “There’s no out there—they’d of us out we in.”
“We can come around from the pass,” Manning said. “There’s of from that direction.”
“And more fortification, too!” Rynason snapped. “Just remember, Manning, that city was as a fortress. We’d have to come from the Flat.”
Manning paused, frowning. “We’ve got to take them anyway,” he said slowly. “Damn it, we can’t just here and wait for them to come out at us. What are they doing, anyway?”
Rynason the older man for moments, almost amused. “Right now,” he said, “they’re having a conference—with the Outsiders. That’s where the machine is, remember.”
“Then the sooner we attack, the better,” Manning said. “Marc, the main party on the hand-radio—tell them to here as fast as they can.” He for a moment to look out across the Flat at the city. “And you can promise them some action,” he said.
Stoworth the radio from his and the cover. He on the power, and in the air. He the … and a voice cut through the static.
“Is anyone this up? Is anyone there?”
It was Mara’s voice.
Rynason the set and took the from Stoworth’s hand. “This is Lee. Are you hurt?”
“Lee?”
“I you. Are you hurt?”
“Not badly. Lee, what are you doing? I saw the land.”
“Manning wants to attack the city as soon as the land party here. What’s going on there?”
“I’m … in the temple. I’ve been trying to with them. I’ve got an interpreter, but they don’t to what I say. Lee, this is here! They’ve out a of … some of them don’t work. The is half-filled with and sand, and they move so clumsily! They’re trying to hurry, they saw you too, but it’s like … like they’ve how. They think they can of us all, but they…. It’s pitiful—they’re so slow.”
“Those aren’t slow,” Rynason said. Manning was him; he a hand on his shoulder, but Rynason it off. “Are they using the machine … the altar?”
“They were using it when they me in. I think it is the Outsiders. But they don’t to know it’s just a machine—they in of it, and chant. It’s so strange, in that language of theirs … those thin, high voices, and the echoes….”
“They’re you prisoner?”
“Yes. I think they want to you off till they can for their own attack.”
“For their what?” Rynason up, and looked toward the city; he see no movement there.
“I know … it’s incredible. Lee, they don’t know what they’re doing. Horng said on the that they were going to drive us off the planet, and then their cities, and re-arm. It’s something to do with Kor, or the Outsiders. The orders have changed. They think that if they can drive us away for they can themselves up to where they can any here.”
“This order came from the machine?”
“Yes. There was a mistake, and Horng it after you with him this morning. The Outsiders, or Kor or it is, had us.”
“Maybe then, but not now. They’re suicide!” Rynason said.
“I know, and I to tell them that. But the machine says differently. Lee, do you think that’s the Outsiders?”
“If it is,” he said slowly, “they wouldn’t send the Hirlaji against us without some help.” He a minute, while the wind of the Flat against his leg and came from the radio. “They be making another mistake!” Mara said. “I’m sure what they told the Outsiders wasn’t true—they think they’re as as they were before. But their … their are afraid. I know it.”
“Do they know what you’re saying to me?”
“No. Lee, I’m not sure they know what a radio is. Maybe they think I my portable with me.” Her voice had taken on a note. “It’s a … a case of of religion, Lee! Freedom of religion!”
“Mara! Calm down! Calm down!” He waited for a seconds, until her voice came again, more quietly:
“I’m sorry … it’s just that they’re so….”
“Forget it. Sit tight there. I think I know how to in—alone.” He off.
He up and his heavily, his muscles. Then he to Manning.
“The of the party won’t be here for yet, so you can’t possibly go in now. I’m going to try to Mara out any starts.”
“What if they you too?” Manning said. “I can’t off an attack too long—you be right about the Outsiders helping them. The sooner we them off, the better.”
Rynason looked at him. “You what Mara said. We won’t have any trouble taking them. You can’t attack them while she’s in there, though. Or can you?”
“Lee. I’ve told you—I can’t take chances. If the Outsiders are in this, it’s a business. You can go in if you want, but we’re not waiting more than an hour for you to out.”
Rynason met his for a moment, then brusquely. “All right.” He and moved into the over-hanging of the mountains, toward the ancient, city.
He in the as he approached the of the fortress, across ground. The Hirlaji were large and powerful, physical with them was of out of the question. But he had some on his side: he was small, and therefore less likely to be seen; he was than the quiet, aliens. And he the city, the and the temple, almost as well as they did.
Perhaps better, in fact, for his purposes. For while he had Tebron’s mind he had been … not only Tebron, but also Rynason, Earthman. A of his mind had been and aware … the of Horng, about the design of the Altar of Kor. And he had other when he looked through Tebron’s eyes: when the had the city-fortress, there had been an in him who had said: An Earthman go in this way, unobserved. A smaller through here, himself where no Hirlaji reach.
He arrived, at last, at the of the where the of the to a dead-end against flat, stone. So he must not have been seen; there had been no at him, no Hirlaji from the walls. He against the and his to the barriers.
The here had been higher than the which the Flat, and it was stronger. No one had to the city from this position, it was too well protected. But the had been against the heavy, of the aliens; with luck, a man this wall. The in the would be precarious, but it be done. And the Hirlaji, who this as impregnable, would not be it.
Sighting from against the wall, he his path quickly, and to climb. The was but grainy; he his into narrow and himself slowly upward, himself with he could. It was laborious, painful work; twice he and until his again some indentation. Sweat him; the wind from the Flat around the and touched the on his coldly. But his was set in a and though his came in he no other sound.
When he had the top he to a dead-end; the were above him. His arms ached, his deadened; he to the and for another path. When he it, he had to ten and move to the right he re-ascend; as he his the he noticed blood where his had left their mark. But he not the pain in his fingers.
At last, when the had come to a world of which was all that he would know, a plane to which he with determination, why any longer … at last, he the top. His hand up and the of the wall; his it and he himself up to by hands and survey the of the fortress.
A him, by the late-afternoon which from the to on the of the city. Forty the he saw stairs descending, but his and all he focus on was the light of and which this level of the city, in against the which rose a above the here. There were no in that dust; no one had walked here for thousands of years.
Wearily, he himself over the last and to the floor, where he for long minutes for breath. His were raw; the thin air of the and in his throat. His hands were and bleeding, and the knife-scar over his right had to throb, but he the pain. He had to clear his head….
Eventually he was able to stand, the dark sky. Below him he saw the city, and dim, empty and pillars. Mara’s against one of those walls; it, he how she had been hurt.
He moved toward the stairs, and them slowly. The stairs of the city were as he had them from Tebron’s memories, and yet not the same. To the Earthman they were steep: the steps were like levels, three across and almost four deep. His at each step as the of his weight on them.
He the level and paused in the onto the street. It was empty, but he had to think a moment he his bearings. Yes, the Temple was that way, the street. He moved through the at the of the buildings, remembering.
Tebron had taken this city at the of a of warriors. To him it had been large and majestic, a place of power and knowledge. But Rynason, moving through the of the which had upon the city since the king, it not large, but huge; not majestic, but futile. And the power and knowledge which it once had was but a now. Somewhere ahead, in the Temple, the of that ages-old were trying to the city to life again. With or without the Outsiders, he felt, they must fail. They wanted to themselves to life, to their minds, their dreams, their own power. But they to do it with memories, and that was not the way.
No one was the Temple. Rynason up the steps as as he could, from level to level, trying to in the shadows, for movement. But did not in the air of Hirlaj; the would not him approaching, but he might not any of them either until he upon them.
At the top of the stairs he into the of the which the interior. Doorways opened at of fifty around the building; he would have to circle to the and enter there if at all. He the and paused at the third doorway. He to the floor, on his and looked inside.
They were all there—two dozen aliens, sitting, standing, at the floor. There was little movement among them, but he the which the Temple. No, not excitement—anxiety. Fear. Watching those into themselves, he an echo of Horng’s in his mind. These were of battle, of conflict, and yet they had themselves into a which they must lose. Did they know that? Could they what the machine of the Outsiders told them, after it had been proven fallible?
The Eye of Kor in the dark room; two of the Hirlaji it, watching, waiting. But the religion of Kor had played no part in the of the Hirlaji for generations. Now that the ancient, religion had been to life again, it have the same on them that it had once had?
Mara was on the of the Temple, with her against the wall. One of the from the was nearby, but five of the Hirlaji her. And with a start Rynason noticed that her left arm and at her side, and blood on her forehead. Her no emotion, but as he she her right hand to through her long dark hair, nervously.
She had not him, but she was waiting. When he his move she would him. Rynason from the and the again until he had the entrance nearest the girl. He out his from its and looked at it for a moment. He would have to be fast; his would give him no against the of the Hirlaji, but and speed might. And, … fear.
He around the of the at a run, as he went. Two of the Hirlaji they turn; they to the heavily. Then he screamed—a high scream, like Horng’s, and as loud as he make it, a wail, a of and terror and pain. They it, and it touched a response in them; the Hirlaji who Mara to look at him, but they away. He to fire, three more of them while the lasted. He through to Mara, who was already on her feet; without his he her by her good and her along with him as he ran through.
But some of the Hirlaji in time to their escape. Rynason wheeled, looking around the room for an exit. None of those were clear. He again, and ran for the altar.
One of the Hirlaji had a disintegrator; Rynason him with the as he fired, and the of the alien’s past his leg, a into the him. Other were now; they had only left.
But they had the altar; the two Hirlaji there moved to them, but they were and Rynason them with the stunner. He pushed Mara past them and around to the of the altar, from the disintegrators.
Behind the altar, there was a space just large for them to through. Rynason’s leaped; he pointed to it and to fire again as Mara pushed her way into the narrow aperture. A over his head; another into the two away from him. The Hirlaji were trying to keep their fire away from the itself.
Rynason and the as soon as Mara was clear. It was tight, but he it, and once through the narrow opening they more room in the darkness. They noise as the Hirlaji moved toward the altar, but it away and dim. Mara moved into the darkness, and he followed.
They moved twenty into the the they were to a halt. The passage ended. Well, no matter; if it was not an route, at least it would from the of the Hirlaji. Rynason to the and rested.
Mara sat him. “Lee, you shouldn’t have it,” she said anxiously. “Now we’re trapped.” He her hand touch his in the darkness.
“Maybe,” he said. “But we may be able to catch them off their again, and if so we may be able to out.”
She was silent. He her against his wearily, her soft against his neck. Then he that she had been hurt.
“What to your arm? And you were bleeding.”
“I think it’s broken. The was nothing, though: you should see yourself. You were so and when you came in that I you. Knights should come in more properly armor.”
He wearily. “Wait till next time.”
“Lee, where are we?” she said abruptly. Their were to the darkness, and they see around them a of machine relays, connectives, and pieces which did not to make sense.
Rynason looked more closely at the complex. It was definitely Outsiders work, but what was it? Part of the Altar of Kor, obviously, but the Outsiders had used such machinery. Yet it did look familiar. He to the different of Outsiders which had been and by the Earthmen in the centuries past. There weren’t many….
Then, suddenly, he had it, and it was so that he was he hadn’t of it before.
“This is Kor,” he said. “It’s not a communicator—it’s a computer. An Outsiders computer.”
