The Complete Stories (Page 145)

‘Why, what happened?’

It was Yimot who answered. ‘We shut ourselves in and allowed our eyes to get accustomed to the dark. It’s an extremely creepy feeling because the total Darkness makes you feel as if the walls and ceiling are crushing in on you. But we got over that and pulled the switch. The caps fell away and the roof glittered all over with little dots of light — ‘

‘Well?’

‘Well — nothing. That was the whacky part of it. Nothing happened. It was just a roof with holes in it, and that’s just what it looked like. We tried it over and over again — that’s what kept us so late — but there just isn’t any effect at all.’

There followed a shocked silence, and all eyes turned to Sheerin, who sat motionless, mouth open.

Theremon was the first to speak. ‘You know what this does to this whole theory you’ve built up, Sheerin, don’t you?’ He was grinning with relief.

But Sheerin raised his hand. ‘Now wait a while. Just let me think this through.’ And then he snapped his fingers, and when he lifted his head there was neither surprise nor uncertainty in his eyes. ‘Of course — ‘

He never finished. From somewhere up above there sounded a sharp clang, and Beenay, starting to his feet, dashed up the stairs with a ‘What the devil!’

The rest followed after.

Things happened quickly. Once up in the dome, Beenay cast one horrified glance at the shattered photographic plates and at the man bending over them; and then hurled himself fiercely at the intruder, getting a death grip on his throat. There was a wild threshing, and as others of the staff joined in, the stranger was swallowed up and smothered under the weight of half a dozen angry men.

Aton came up last, breathing heavily. ‘Let him up!’

There was a reluctant unscrambling and the stranger, panting harshly, with his clothes torn and his forehead bruised, was hauled to his feet. He had a short yellow beard curled elaborately in the style affected by the Cultists. Beenay shifted his hold to a collar grip and shook the man savagely. ‘All right, rat, what’s the idea? These plates — ‘

‘I wasn’t after them,’ retorted the Cultist coldly. ‘That was an accident.’

Beenay followed his glowering stare and snarled, ‘I see. You were after the cameras themselves. The accident with the plates was a stroke of luck for you, then. If you had touched Snapping Bertha or any of the others, you would have died by slow torture. As it is — ‘ He drew his fist back.

Aton grabbed his sleeve. ‘Stop that! Let him go!’

The young technician wavered, and his arm dropped reluctantly. Aton pushed him aside and confronted the Cultist. ‘You’re Latimer, aren’t you?’

The Cultist bowed stiffly and indicated the symbol upon his hip. I am Latimer 25, adjutant of the third class to his serenity, Sor 5.’

‘And’ — Aton’s white eyebrows lifted — ‘you were with his serenity when he visited me last week, weren’t you?’

Latimer bowed a second time.

‘Now, then, what do you want?’

‘Nothing that you would give me of your own free will.’

‘Sor 5 sent you, I suppose — or is this your own idea?’

‘I won’t answer that question.’

‘Will there be any further visitors?’

‘I won’t answer that, either.’

Aton glanced at his timepiece and scowled. ‘Now, man, what is it your master wants of me? I have fulfilled my end of the bargain.’

Latimer smiled faintly, but said nothing.

‘I asked him,’ continued Aton angrily, ‘for data only the Cult could supply, and it was given to me. For that, thank you. In return I promised to prove the essential truth of the creed of the Cult.’

‘There was no need to prove that,’ came the proud retort. It stands proven by the Book of Revelations.’

‘For the handful that constitute the Cult, yes. Don’t pretend to mistake my meaning. I offered to present scientific backing for your beliefs. And I did!’

The Cultist’s eyes narrowed bitterly. ‘Yes, you did — with a fox’s subtlety, for your pretended explanation backed our beliefs, and at the same time removed all necessity for them. You made of the Darkness and of the Stars a natural phenomenon and removed all its real significance. That was blasphemy.’

‘If so, the fault isn’t mine. The facts exist. What can I do but state them?’

‘Your "facts" are a fraud and a delusion.’

Aton stamped angrily. ‘How do you know?’

And the answer came with the certainty of absolute faith. ‘I know!’

The director purpled and Beenay whispered urgently. Aton waved him silent. ‘And what does Sor 5 want us to do? He still thinks. I suppose, that in trying to warn the world to take measures against the menace of madness, we are placing innumerable souls in jeopardy. We aren’t succeeding, if that means anything to him.’

‘The attempt itself has done harm enough, and your vicious effort to gain information by means of your devilish instruments must be stopped. We obey the will of the Stars, and I only regret that my clumsiness prevented me from wrecking your infernal devices.’

‘It wouldn’t have done you too much good,’ returned Aton. ‘All our data, except for the direct evidence we intend collecting right now, is already safely cached and well beyond possibility of harm.’ He smiled grimly. ‘But that does not affect your present status as an attempted burglar and criminal.’

He turned to the men behind him. ‘Someone call the police at Saro City.’

There was a cry of distaste from Sheerin. ‘Damn it, Aton, what’s wrong with you? There’s no time for that. Here’ — he hustled his way forward — ‘let me handle this.’

Aton stared down his nose at the psychologist. ‘This is not the time for your monkeyshines, Sheerin. Will you please let me handle this my own way? Right now you are a complete outsider here, and don’t forget it.’

Sheerin’s mouth twisted eloquently. ‘Now why should we go to the impossible trouble of calling the police — with Beta’s eclipse a matter of minutes from now — when this young man here is perfectly willing to pledge his word of honor to remain and cause no trouble whatsoever?’