Storm Menace
"We have to know." Ashe against the they had just emptied. "Something was done here—in two hundred years—and then, an empty world."
"Pandora's box." Ross a hand across his forehead, and into a brand.
Ashe nodded. "Maybe we that risk, all the of the aliens. But what if the Reds open the box on one of their settlement worlds?"
There it was again, the old which them into and recklessness. Danger ahead on paths. Don't trying to learn secrets, but don't your enemy's learning them either. You a white-hot iron in hands in this business. And Ashe was right, they had on something here which that a whole world had been to some plan. Suppose the of that was by their enemies?
"Were the ship and people natives?" Ross aloud.
"Just at a they were, or at least who had been here so long they had a local of which was about on the level of a society."
"You of the and the bombardment. But what about the ships?"
"Two phases of a at war, a more progressive against a less advanced. American paying a visit to the Shogun's Japan, for example."
Ross grinned. "Those didn't to their welcome. They out to sea fast when the to fall."
"Yes, but the ships in the pattern; the not!"
"Which period are you for first—the or the pylons?"
"Castle first, I think. Then if we can't up any hints, we'll take some jumps until we do connect. Only we'll be under handicaps. If we only plant an in the as a beginning."
Ross did not his surprise. If Ashe was talking on those terms, then he was to do more than just around a little the gate; he was to up speech patterns, assume an agent identity!
"Gordon!" Karara appeared two of the trees. She came so that the of the two cups she over. "You must what Hori has to say—"
The tall Samoan who her spoke quickly. For the time since Ross had him he was very serious, a line his eyes. "There is a coming. Our register it."
"How long away?" Ashe was on his feet.
"A day ... maybe two...."
Ross see no in the sky, islands, or sea. They had had weather for the six since their planeting, no of any such trouble in the Hawaikan paradise.
"It's coming," Hori repeated.
"The gate is up," Ashe aloud, "too much of it set to be again in a hurry."
"If it's completed," Hori wanted to know, "would it out a storm?"
"It might, that where we have it based. To it would be a fast job."
Hori his hands. "We're more than brain in these matters, Gordon, but you've all our help, for what it's worth. What about the ship, it on schedule?"
"Check with Rimbault about that. This storm, how will it to a Pacific typhoon?"
The Samoan his head. "How do we know? We have not yet had to the local variety."
"The are low," Karara commented. "Winds and water could—"
"Yes! We'd see Rimbault about a if needed."
If the settlement had drowsed, now its were busy. It was that they in the should the proportions, but its the gate must be finished. The final was left to Ashe and Ross, and the older agent the last when the the were already wind ruffled, the sky fast. The and in the and with them Karara, though Ashe had twice her to the shore.
There was no left, and they with torches. Ashe his of the transfer—the two bars, the of material a them. This was only a of the gates Ross had used in the past. But had produced this more easily installation.
Piled in a were supply for an run—extra gill-packs, the analyzer, rations, a medical kit, all the basics. Was Ashe going to try now? He had the transfer, the were faintly, the they having an glimmer. He only wanted to be sure it worked.
What at that moment Ross any to describe, was he sure he remember. The of the pass-through he had before; this time he was into a of in which his body, his identity, were from him and he touch with all stability.
Instinctively he out, his more than his will him above water in the wild of a storm-whipped sea. The light was gone; here was only dark and water. Then a wide the over Ross as his the surface and he saw, with eyes, that he was being shoreward—not to the of Finger Island—but against a where water an of rock.
Ross that somehow he had been through the gate, that he was now the land that had been the supporting the castle. Then he for his life to the of the sea to him against the surface of the cliff.
A surface up him, and he himself in that direction, a rock, to through the of the which had him there. His and on the stone, and then the of his right hand in a hole, and he with all the in his gasping, body. He had had no preparation, no warning, and only the will which had been and into him saved his life.
As the water back, Ross to up on his anchorage, to be above the of the next wave. Somehow he a it came. The of the gill-pack saved him from being in that as he stubbornly, again the of the sea.
Inch by he for and support. Then he was on the surface of the rock, out of all but the of spray. He there, and gasping. The of the surf, and it the of the in the heavens, was deafening, his as much as the through which he had passed. He was to where he was, of his surroundings.
Sparks of light along the to the north at last Ross's attention. They moved, some along the line, a up the cliff. And they were not part of the storm's fireworks. Men here—why at this moment?
Another of him the answer. On the which ran a of land into the sea a ship—two ships—pounded by every wave. Shipwrecks ... and those lights must mark to the survivors.
Ross across his on his hands and knees, along the until he was again with angry water. To into that would be a mistake. He hesitated—and now more than his own home to him.
Ashe! Ashe had been ahead of him at the time gate. If Ross had been through to this past, then in the water, on the shore, Gordon was here too! But where to him....
Setting his to the and to the stone, Ross got to his feet, trying to see through the of and water. Not only the sea here; now a rain into the bargain, about him, his and shoulders. A rain which him shiver.
He gill-pack, with its tool and knife, flippers, and the pair of which had been for the Hawaika he knew; but this was a different world altogether. Dare he use his to see the way out of here? Ross the lights to the north, they were not too his own beam, and took the chance.
Now he on a of with depressions, all pools. To his left was a into a boiling, from which points of fanged. Ross shuddered. At least he had being into that!
To his right, northward, there was another space of sea, a narrow strip, and then a second ledge. He the that and the one on which he perched. Staying where he was would not Ashe.
Ross off his flippers, them fast in his belt. Then he and painfully, as his and he on the northern ledge.
As he sat up, a and knee, he saw lights in his direction. And them a from water to shore. Ross along the to that figure, who still now just out of the waves. Ashe?
Ross's a trot. But he was too late; the other lights, two of them, had the shadow. A man—or at least a which was humanoid—sprawled down. Other men, three of them, over the swimmer.
Those who the were still in the dark, but the third to roll over their find. Ross the of light on a headcovering, the of wet of some type on the fellow's and as he quick of the sea's victim.
Then.... Ross halted, his wide. A hand rose and with expert precision. There had been a in that hand. Already the three were away from the man so dispatched. Ashe? Or some of the ships?
Ross to the end of the ledge. The narrow of water it from the where he had into a in the cliff. Dare he try to work his way into that? Masked, with the gill-pack, he go under surface if he were not by the against some wall.
He back. The lights were very close to the end of his ledge. To to the second would being in a end, for he not enter the on its side. There was no choice: and be killed, or try for the cave. Ross on his and his into the narrow stream. The that it was narrow and on either by the the a little, and Ross the against him not so great as he it would be.
Keeping hand-holds on the rock, he along, and often under the wash of water, but to the in the wall. Then he was through, into a space much larger than the opening, water-filled but not with a wild of waves.
Had he been sighted? Ross a to the left of that narrow entrance, his with the and of the water. He make out the of light without. It might be that one of those had out over the of the entrance, was his into the water there.
Behind plate Ross's in the of the hunted. In here he would have the advantage. Let one of them, or all three, try to through that entrance and....
But if he had been at the mouth of the lair, none of his appeared to wish to press the hunt. The light disappeared, and Ross was left in the dark. He a hundred slowly and then a second hundred he use his own torch.
For all its entrance this was a good-sized he had upon. And he discovered, when he to his and swim out into its middle, the in a toward its rear.
Moments later Ross out of the water once more, to on a only now and then by wavelets. He had a temporary refuge, but his good did not his fears. Had that been Ashe on the shore? And why had the been so by the men who him?
The ships on the reef, the on the above his ... ... ships' and men? But the act of the a of to proportions, inter-racial conflict.
He not to until the was over. To into the sea would not Ashe. And to be along the by an unknown enemy was to die without any good in return. No, he must where he was for the present.
Ross the from his and used it on this higher of the cave. He was on a which into the water in the of a wedge. At his the of the was rough, and of were on its projections. The of was to register as Ross off his mask. As as he now see there was no by sea.
A movement in the water his light into the dark flood. Then a in the path of that ray. Not a man swimming, but one of the dolphins!
Ross's of was gasp, cry. The second for a moment and the of their bodies, just under the surface, moved a third form.
"Ashe!" Ross had no idea how the had come through the time gate, but that they had to safety a Terran he did not at all. "Ashe!"
But it was not Ashe who came to the where Ross waited with hand outstretched. He had been so sure of the other's identity that he in complete as his met Karara's and she stumbled, against him.
His arms about her her, and her was close to his as she her full weight upon him. Her hands a movement to her mask, and he it off. Uncovered, her was and drawn, her now closed, and her came in ragged, which her more.
"How did you here?" Ross as he pushed her on the ledge.
Her moved slowly, in a weak of negation.
"I don't know ... we were close to the gate. There was a of light ... then—" Her voice sealed up with a note of in it. "Then ... I was here ... and Taua with me. Tino-rau came ... Ross, Ross ... there was a man swimming. He got ashore; he was to his and—and they killed him!"
Ross's tightened; he into her with demand.
"Was it Gordon?"
She blinked, her hand up to her mouth, and it and across her chin. There was a small red her fingers, her arm.
"Gordon?" She it as if she had the name before.
"Yes, did they kill Gordon?"
In his she was and forth. Then, he was her, Ross got himself under control.
But a measure of had come into her eyes. "No, not Gordon. Where is Gordon?"
"You haven't him?" Ross persisted, it was useless.
"Not since we were at the gate." Her were less slurred. "Weren't you with him?"
"No. I was alone."
"Ross, where are we?"
"Better say—when are we," he replied. "We're through the gate and in time. And we have to Gordon!" He did not want to think of what might have out on the shore.
