Loketh the Useless

The wash of Ross's until he came up against the not too from the spy's perch. Whoever there still to watch Karara. And Ross's eyes, having to the of the cavern, out the of and shoulders. The next two or three minutes were the ones for the Terran. He must on the in the open he attack.

Karara might almost have read his mind and help. For now she out on the point of the to the dolphins' summons. Tino-rau's above water as he answered the girl with a squeak. Karara and the came to against her out-held hand.

Ross a from the watcher, a of movement. Karara to sing softly, her voice in one of the liquid of her own people, the a note or two. Ross had them at that before, and it perfect for his move. He sprang.

His on flesh, closed about thin wrists. There was a of and from the as the Terran him from his to the ledge. Ross had his under him he that the other had offered no struggle, but still.

"What is it?" Karara's them both. Ross looked into a thin not too different from his own. The wide-set were closed, and the mouth open. Though he the Hawaikan unconscious, Ross still on those as he moved from the body. With the girl's he used a length of to secure the captive.

The a of material which body, legs, and feet, but left his arms bare. A about his had for a number of objects, among them a hook-pointed knife which Ross removed.

"Why, he is only a boy," Karara said. "Where did he come from, Ross?"

The Terran pointed to the crevice. "He was up there, you."

Her were wide and round. "Why?"

Ross his against the of the cave. After the of those who had from the wreck, he did not like to think what might have the Hawaikan here. Again Karara's must have matched his, for she added:

"But he did not his knife. What are you going to do with him, Ross?"

That problem already the Terran. The move was to kill the native out of hand. But such was more than he stomach. And if he learn anything from the stranger—gain some knowledge of this new world and its ways—he would be twice winner. Why, this might lead to Ashe!

"Ross ... his leg. See?" The girl pointed.

The tight fit of the alien's the clear; the right leg of the was and twisted. He was a cripple.

"What of it?" Ross sharply. This was no time for an to the sympathies.

But Karara did not any of the as he she would. Instead, she sat cross-legged, an odd, making her though he have put out his hand to touch her.

"His lameness—it be a bridge," she observed, to Ross's mystification.

"A bridge—what do you mean?"

The girl her head. "This is only a feeling, not a true thought. But also it is important. Look, I think he is waking."

The above those large were fluttering. Then with a shake of the head, the Hawaikan up at them. Blank was all Ross read in the stranger's until the saw Karara. Then a of speech from his lips.

He when they no answer. And the of his took on a note, while the of his away.

Karara spoke to Ross. "He is afraid, very much afraid. At first, I think, he was pleased ... happy."

"But why?"

The girl her head. "I do not know; I can only feel. Wait!" Her hand rose in command. She did not to her feet, but on hands and to the of the ledge. Both were there, their well out of the water, their excitement.

"Ross!" Karara's voice loudly. "Ross, they can him! Tino-rau and Taua can him!"

"You mean, they this language?" Ross that fantastic, as the of the were.

"No, his mind. It's his mind, Ross. Somehow he thinks in patterns they can up and read! They do that, you know, with a of us, but not in the same way. This is more direct, clearer! They're so excited!"

Ross at the prisoner. The had about, to his against the as a support. His the Hawaikan into a position, but the native that almost as if he were not aware of Ross's hands on his body. He with a of at the heads.

"He is afraid," Karara reported. "He has such before."

"Can they ask him questions?" Ross. If this odd tie Terran and Hawaikan did exist, then there was a to learn about this world.

"They can try. Now he only fear, and they must through that."

What was the most four-sided Ross have imagined. He put a question to Karara, who it to the dolphins. In turn, they asked it of the Hawaikan and his answer the same route.

It took some time to the of the stranger. But at last the Hawaikan entered into the exchange.

"He is the son of the lord the above." Karara produced the and complete answer. "But for some he is not by his own kind. Perhaps," she added on her own, "it is he is crippled. The sea is his home, as he it, and he me to be some being out of it. He saw me swimming, masked, and with the dolphins, and he is sure I shape at will."

She hesitated. "Ross, I something odd here. He know, or thinks he knows, who can appear and at will. And he is of their powers."

"Gods and goddesses—perfectly natural."

Karara her head. "No, this is more than a religious belief."

Ross had a inspiration. Hurriedly he the who had the people from the of salvage. "Ask him about that one."

She the question. Ross saw the prisoner's around. The Hawaikan looked from Karara to her companion, a of in his expression.

"He wants to know why you ask about the Foanna? Surely you must well know what manner of beings they are."

"Listen—" Ross was sure now that he had a discovery, though its he not guess, "tell him we come from where there are no Foanna. That we have powers and must know of their powers."

If he only on this and not have to upon a translation! And he be sure his questions the undistorted?

Wearily Ross sat on his heels. Then he at Karara with a of concern. If he was by their communication, she must be so. There was a to her shoulders, and her last reply had come in a voice with fatigue. Abruptly he started up.

"That's enough—for now."

Which was true. He had to have time for evaluation, to to what they had learned the of questions passed and forth. And in that moment he was of his hunger, just as his voice was paper from of drink. The of he had left by the entrance ...

"We need food and drink." He with his mask, but Karara him from the water.

"Taua ... Wait!"

The the of to them. Ross one, out a of fresh water. A second box the of rations.

Then, after a moment's hesitation, Ross to the prisoner, cut his bonds, and pressed a and a into his hold. The Hawaikan the Terrans eat he into the wafer, it with vigor, the around in his with he at its contents.

As Ross and swallowed, and with no relish, he one to another to make a picture of this Hawaikan time period in which they were now marooned. Of course, his picture was on they had learned from their captive. Perhaps he had them or some essentials. But he have done that in a contact? Ross would have to accept with a amount of skepticism.

Anyway, there were the Wreckers of the castle—petty setting up their along the coasts, upon the which was the of this island-water world. The Terrans had them in action last night and today. And if the captive's was correct, it was not only the storm's which the waves' harvest. The Wreckers had some method of ships to up on their reefs.

Some method of attraction.... And that which had the Terrans through the time gate; there be a connection? However, there the Wreckers on the cliff. And their prey, the of the ocean, with an them.

Those two parties Ross and be prepared to with, he thought. But there the Foanna. And, from their prisoner's explanation, the Foanna were a very different matter.

They a power which did not upon or ships or the natural and of men. No, they had which were unearthly, to give them in all but one way—numbers. Though the Foanna had their and servants, as Ross had on the beach, they, themselves, were of another race—a very old and of which remained. How many, their not say, for the Foanna had no to the world. They appeared, gave their orders, their demands, or as they wished—always just one or two at a time—always so in their that their physical a mystery. But there was no about their powers. Ross that no Wrecker lord, no how much a leader among his own kind, how ambitious, had yet to oppose one of the Foanna, though he might make a against some from them.

And the captive's of those powers in action a of Foanna knowledge, or at least for its application. But Ross that the answer might be that they the of some almost know-how, the of a very old race. He had to learn something of the of the Foanna themselves, if the ones be from the empire. But the answer had come that the Foanna were older than recorded time, that they had in the great the of the Terrans' had from very savagery.

"What do we do now?" Karara in upon Ross's as she the containers.

"These that the Wreckers take upon occasion ... Maybe Ashe...." Ross was at very straws; he had to. And the had said that able-bodied men who were taken captive. Several had been the night before.

"Loketh."

Ross and Karara looked around. The put the water bulb, and one of his hands a they not mistake; he pointed to himself and that word, "Loketh."

The Terran touched his own chest. "Ross Murdock."

Perhaps the other was as as he with their method of and had to try and speed it up. The analyzer! Ashe had the with the by the gate. If Ross that ... why, then the major problem be them. Swiftly he to Karara, and with a of she called to Taua, ordering the of the material from the gate be to them.

"Loketh." Ross pointed to the youth. "Ross." That was himself. "Karara." He the girl.

"Rosss." The a of the name. "Karara—" He did with the second.

Ross the box Taua had located. He had only knowledge of how the device worked. It was to record a language, it into already familiar to the Time Agents. But it also be used as a with a totally tongue? He only that the of its through the gate had not it and that the might possibly work.

Putting the box them, he what he wanted; and Karara took up the small micro-disk, speaking slowly and the same liquid she had used in the song. Ross the when she was finished, and the small screen. The which there had meaning for him right enough; he what she had just taped. The machine still to that extent.

Now he pushed the box into place Loketh and the visibly Hawaikan take the from Karara. Then through the link Ross passed on instructions. Would it work as well to a as it had with past and present of his own planet?

Reluctantly Loketh to talk to the disk, at in a very and then, as there was no response, with less speed and more confidence. There were symbol lines on the vista-plate in accordance, and some of them sense! Ross was elated.