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ing to e with you。
'One reason ?' Keill was interested in spite of himself。 'What are the others ?'
First; because I agree with Talis that you will need me; the alien said。 Second; because it is obvious that life in your pany will never be unexciting。
'It might be shorter than you bargained for;' Keill said grimly。
Possibly。 'But I do not fear dying … except from boredom。
Keill could not help smiling at the words; and a trace of the alien's laughter crept into his mind in response。 He leaned back and studied the creature again。 The slender; bird…like body; the domed head; the round eyes … it was almost a clownish figure。 Yet the brightness of those eyes; and the capability of the hands; belied the foolishness。 Keill thought for a moment of this little being; alone in its own ship; penetrating the inconceivable distances from one galaxy to another; facing whatever unknowable dangers lay on such a path 。。。
He realized that beyond its appearance; beyond its zany sense of humour; it … no; he corrected himself; she … deserved respect。 She was a being of high intelligence; ability and courage。
'All right; little friend;' he said at last; still smiling。 'Glr…that is what you are called ? We'll be rades…in…arms; for a while。 I hope neither of us will regret it。'
We will not; Keill Randor; said Glr。 For myself; I wele your friendship。 As I will wele even more the time when you learn that Talis spoke the truth。 I hope the knowledge is not acquired too pain…fully。
A faint chill prickled Keill's spine。 'Do you read the future; as well as minds ?'
No。 But I can make predictions; as you can; from the available data。
Before Keill could reply; the puter intruded with a warning tone to draw his attention; and a cluster of figures flashing on to its screen。
They were nearing the point of emerging from Overlight。
Keill turned his concentration to the controls; readying the ship for entrance into normal space; checking the course that would bypass the planet Saltrenius towards a landing on its moon; Creffa。
Chapter ten
Creffa was small for a moon; but as airless; rocky; cratered and uninviting as any。 Keill's course took him on one orbital sweep; far enough out so that anyone spotting him from the moon's surface would not be able to identify the ship; or imagine that he was anything other than a bypassing ship on its way to planetfall on Saltrenius。
His viewscreens; at extended magnification; showed the gleaming space…dome clearly。 The bubble of sturdy metal and plastic was set on a broad; dusty plain on the moon's bright side; yet not far from the sharply defined boundary of the far side's darkness。 There were no craters or rock formations within several hundred metres of the dome itself; he saw。 A man on foot would have no cover approaching it。
But at least one piece of luck had e his way。 The orbital sweep showed that the space cruiser which belonged to the dome's occupants was not in sight。
'Probably on Saltrenius again;' Keill decided。
Some have remained; Glr said。 I can sense human minds within the dome; though I cannot tell how many。
'Anyway; it lowers the odds;' Keill said。 'And it gives me a chance for some exploring。 Whoever's been left in the dome is likely to stay inside。'
He curved his ship to a landing … just inside the deep shadow of the moon's dark side; and over the horizon that would be visible from the dome。 He knew that the landing would not be detected: its sound would not travel in the vacuum; and he had chosen a spot surrounded by upthrust clumps of rock that would swallow the vibrations。
Unstrapping himself from the slingseat; he gathered up his helmet and went to the weapons partment。 It contained a sizeable selection of rifles and pistols; with even a few knives and other hand weapons。 But Keill did not hesitate over his choice。 He had no illusions about what might happen: if there was a fight; it would be no place for more civilized weapons like anaesthetic needle…guns or stun…guns。 Instead he strapped on an ion…energy pistol; a beamer … a modified version of his spaceship's weapons; firing a focused beam of raw energy。
Glr watched the preparations with interest。 You are very calm; for a human; she said。
'What did you expect ?' Keill smiled。 'That my knees would tremble ?'
I would have expected some worry or excitement; Glr replied。 It is the human way。
Keill shrugged his way into his airpack。 'It isn't the Legion way。 A waste of energy。'
Some day you must instruct me in the ways of the Legions; Glr said。
Keill laughed。 'Little friend; if I survive this; I'll happily put you through an entire training programme。' He fastened his helmet; swiftly ran through a final check of his equipment; then turned again to Glr; concentrating; trying to form words dearly in his mind; as if speaking them。
'Are you receiving me?' he asked。
Perfectly。
'Good … then we can keep in contact。 I want you to stay at the controls; but do absolutely nothing unless I tell you。 Clear?
Perfectly。
'And if any of the others spot the ship; and try to board it; let me know at once?
I hear and obey。 There was a hint of laughter in the reply。
'Keep your jokes for afterwards。 And one more thing … if I don't e back 。。。'
You will be dead; Glr replied calmly; and no longer able to give me orders。 So I will use my initiative。
Keill smiled。 'All right。 Then you can go off and report to your Overseers'
I will; said Glr。 But first I might try out the weapons of this ship。 On the dome and its occupants。
The airlock closed silently behind him as Keill dropped to the surface of Creffa。 It was a slow; dreamy drop; in the light gravity of the moon … and his progress was also like a dream; long; reaching strides that were in fact huge; slow leaps of many metres at a time。 Soon he had reached the edge of the undiffused glare that was the bright side of the moon。
The plastiglass of his helmet darkened instantly; protectively; as he moved across into the light。 Behind him; his ship could no longer be seen over the horizon。 Ahead; somewhere beyond the jagged clusters of rocks where he stood; the dome lay。
In some ways; he thought; with the abundance of fanged rock and the absence of vegetation and water; his surroundings were like the region of the Iron Peaks on Moros; where trainee legionaries went for individual survival tests。 But at least in that place there would have been the moan of a mournful wind; and the crunch and slide of your boots over the rock; to prove that you were still alive。 In this dreary place; airless…ness meant an inhuman silence; bleak and disturbing; so that Keill felt like a disembodied ghost。
But he shook off the oppression that gathered in his mind; and began to make his way through the rocks … slowly and stealthily; controlling his movements now so that he kept low to the ground despite the low gravity; trying to step only on rock so that no tell…tale footprints would remain in the dust behind him。
At last; edging beneath an overhang that would have collapsed long before in normal gravity; he saw the dome。
It rose from the broad expanse of dust like a blister rises from human skin; but so bright in the reflecte