Страница 26 из 53
“What is that?” Angelina asked.
As always on this world there was no easy answer. It was like a soft bundle of sticks, or a complex insect made of twigs. Whatever it was it was plucking at my trouser leg. Then it stopped and shuffled towards the cave. Stopped and waited. Then returned and rustled the fabric once again.
“It’s trying to communicate,” I said. “I think it wants me to follow it. Well—why not?”
“No arguments. We’ve come this far.”
When we started forward it scurried ahead. Stopped and waited, then moved ahead again. Sunshine filtered through the mouth of the cave, more than enough to see the sprouting creature that sprawled inside.
That was the only way to describe it. It was covered with complex structures that were apparently growing from its green hide. Some I recognized; there was the top half of a water carrier. Another was a bristle of growths bundled together like our guide. And there were others that were totally incomprehensible. Then one of the working creatures hurried by with a red globe which it dropped into an opening in the thing’s side.
“It’s looking at us,” Angelina said, pointing. A group of whip—like tentacles, each ending in a bulging eye, had turned towards us.
“Hello,” I said.
“Hello,” it boomed out in return.
Chapter 13
“Talking—or mimicking” Angelina said. “Talking—talking—talking.” Which wasn’t much of an answer. The eye—stalks still swayed in our direction—as did another organ or mushrooming growth that started to form under the eyes. It began as a swelling, then opened up into a sort of trumpet—shaped flower. This moved back and forth as though searching for something, then turned and pOinted directly at me. I stepped backColor, sound. movement, terror. Pain and red sounds, sharp memories. A scream… a shout… Then it ended and I realized that the person shouting was me. Hands on my arms, I blinked my eyes clear, saw that Angelina was holding on to me.
“What happened?” she asked.
“I… don’t know. What did you see?”
“You closed your eyes and, well, just dropped to the ground. Then you just sort of scrunched up, shouting and twisting. It only lasted a moment.”
“That thing, I said, my breathing rough. “It was in my brain, trying to communicate or something. Big and strong—”
“Did it try to hurt you?”
“Not at all, quite the opposite. There was curiosity there but I had no sensation of threat or menace. Whatever it wanted it, well, didn’t find. It just pulled out. Perhaps I’m not in its intellectual league.”
While . 1 was talking the flower growth closed and disappeared. Next to it the water—carrier that had been growing larger stopped and began a sort of twisting motion. Then, with a plopping sound, it pulled free of the surface. Jumped to the ground and hurried away.
“It’s the queen thing.” Angelina said. “Growing parts of the colony.”
“Or maybe it is the colony.”
After that one attempt to communicate the creature never tried again. The eyes were withdrawn as though it had lost all interest. But it knew we were there because one of the leg creatures came hurrying into the cave with two of the red fruit we had seen growing outside. It plopped one into an opening in the giant creature’s hide—then dropped then other one in front of us before rushing outside again.
“Thanks, Queenie,” I said. “Very kind of you. Is it chow time? Looks like the one we ate before—and our friend here just ate one. Shall we give it a try?” I squatted down to look more closely at it. I prodded it with my finger and it split open. I licked the juice from my hand. “Tastes very much like the other one we had to fight for.”
“Why not? If that murderous thing in the clearing is offering tempting goodies I suppose they must be edible. Give me a piece, if you please.”
We finished it between us. Then, feeling very much ignored, we went back out of the cave into the alien garden.
“What about another One?” I asked.
“You’re on.”
None of the scurrying creatures came near us—nor took any notice when I reached up high and plucked another red fruit. We sat comfortably against the rock wall and ate it. It was very pulpy and liquid, food and drink at the same time.
“Now what?” Angelina asked, licking the last drop of juice from her fingers.
“A good question. And I suggest that we sleep on it.”
“One of us at a time though. I still don’t trust this queen—of—the—hive creature.”
“Then we’ll get out of here, find a secluded spot away from the path. We can always come back when we get hungry.”
Angelina yawned gracefully. “You are on, husband mine. It certainly has been a long day.”
We did this for two of the short days and nights. Sleeping, then going back for more fruit, mulling over our options, very limited indeed, and trying to figure out just what we should do next. With great effort at cogitation, we managed to never reach any important conclusions. Then we would sleep and start the whole process over again. On the third daylet Angelina came up with an observation that finally forced us to make a decision. She had been on this exotic world longer than I had—and had gone much longer without a decent meal.
“You are losing weight, Jim. And so am I.” Which was true, but I just did not want to mention it to her. “The fruit is filling all right—but do you notice how quickly you get hungry again after eating?”
“I have been thinking about it, wondering really.”
“Stop wondering. Water is water, hydrogen and oxygen. Since we don’t get thirsty we must have been getting enough to drink from the fruit. But the food is a different matter. Who knows what kind of elements and molecules make up this fruit. I don’t think we are ingesting any nourishment at all. If we stay here and keep on eating this stuff—we are just going to curl up and die of starvation in the end.”
I sighed unhappily. “I’m forced to agree. The idea was tickling at my brain but I thought I was being stupid. It’s been sort of fun here in a completely alien way. Back to Glass land?”
“Nothing else to do. And you have strange tastes if you think our stay here was fun. I say back to civilization and some good food and a hot bath. Let’s head for that clearing where we arrived. We’ll see if anyone has found your message yet.”
I waved as we left. “Bye. Thanks for the hospitality.” Of course there was no response. We went down the hill, skirted the killer angler, and swam back to the mainland.
“Onward—to the glass forest,” I said, trying to be as cheerful as I could. “Coypu will have the machine analyzed by now and will quickly build one of his own. Which he will then use to track us down and rescue us. We’ll be settling down to a steak di
After three more of the local days had gone by I wanted to eat those words—since there was nothing else to eat on this world of Glass. My wallet was just where I had left it, my glass arrow and message undisturbed. I ground the crystal fragments to smithereens, growling darkly.
After that—it was just waiting. The crystal glade in the forest remained empty. No one came, nothing happened at all. We stayed there, making only the briefest of forays back to the ocean to drink. Time dragged by so sluggishly that we felt we were making about the same progress as the crystalline carnivore. It was catching up on its fleeing prey, but so slowly, slowly. Another night fell and was followed by another su
“There must be something else we can do,” I complained.
“I don’t see what. You’re the one who told me that all we had to do was wait. You must be patient.”
“I’m not!”
“You never were. But you must make the effort or you will worry yourself into an ulcer.”