Man-Kzin Wars XI, Hal Colbatch [story books to read .txt] 📗

restraining tape, and made them bind one another again. Then he removed the locator implants from under the skin of Dimity's inner arm and from between Vaemar's shoulders. The size of rice grains, the locators were meant to be removed without too much trouble. His claws were too sharp to cause Dimity much pain, and Vaemar simply looked contemptuous. It was obvious from Chorth-Captain's manner that he was doing something he should have done some time previously. He's hoping the Protector won't realize he's neglected to do this before, Dimity thought. And I'm hoping somebody's already traced them and is on their way. But the signal will be very weak. We've got a lot of rock around us, and 60,000 miles of space. But Chorth-Captain, whatever he's been before, has become one inefficient kzin now. He made some show of smashing the locators. Then he released Dimity and left her to release Vaemar.

Time passed. They had few ways of measuring it.

"You are crouched in as small a space as possible. Your limbs seem to vibrate spasmodically," said Vaemar. "Are you sick? You were not hurt badly? You did not bleed for long. But I observe other differences about your body, too."

"I'm cold," said Dimity.

"You will burn energy with that vibration. You should rest and conserve your energy."

"I can't. I have done so for as long as I can. But this is cave temperature. Deep-cave. I need clothes. These torn things are quite useless. My boots are all right—" she laughed "—but they don't keep the rest of me warm."

"You may lie against me, if you wish," said Vaemar. "I will try to warm you. But I warn you seriously not to make any sudden moves. I cannot always control my reflexes."

She snuggled against his fur. He wrapped one great arm around her and presently she slept. Vaemar had not moved when the door opened again and Chorth-Captain entered. He looked down at the young kzin with disgust.

"Are you chrowling that monkey? I expected little enough of you, but this . . ."

He turned away. For a male kzin to turn his back on another so might be an expression of trust. But it could also be an expression of fathomless contempt. Vaemar leapt, claws extended, slashing at Chorth-Captain's neck, then striking with an elbow. His claw came away with blood and orange fur, and a short silver tube.

Chorth-Captain did not whirl into the counterattack. He staggered dazedly and sat down, hind legs splayed out before him, as old, mad bears that had spent too many years in zoo cages had once looked. Then he slumped on his side. Vaemar went to Dimity and set her on her feet.

"We were right," he said. "A zzrou, or its descendant, but capable of controlling behavior as well as action. I have removed it."

"Is he dead?"

"Probably not. Kzinti are much tougher than humans, and this thing has no wires or roots to suggest it was deep in his nerves or spine. As to the quality of life he may expect, that is another matter. He must live with knowledge of what he has allowed himself to become. The door is open. The catspaw is out of action. Now, perhaps, we only have five Protectors to deal with. Or perhaps more." He picked up Chorth-Captain's w'tsai. "I feel less naked with this," he said. Then he dropped it again. "But what use would it be against a Protector? Let him keep it. I will take this, though." He hefted the beam-weapon. "Now, Dimity-Human," he said, "you and I have a chance to do deeds fit for a song!"

"Lead, Hero!" she told him.

"Obviously, if we can get control of the ship, we should take it. But I do not think we will be allowed. They are surely monitoring us. But come!"

There was the "ward" with the rows of transforming Morlocks. There were no Protectors to be seen. "Why don't they try to stop us?" Vaemar asked.

"They are probably interested in seeing what we do. A practical lesson in our tactics."

"That Sinclair field could be a weapon, perhaps. Urrr."

"What are they doing with it? Growing more Protectors?"

"Chorth-Captain said the rest of the tree-of-life agent was still on Wunderland." Vaemar peered into the field. "It looks like some small-scale industrial process. Some super-strong materials take a long time to grow, and they could be speeding them up. Mountings for hyper-drive motors need super-strong materials. That is what it looks like to me. Getting ready. But you know more of building the hyperdrive than I."

"They know of the hyperdrive already?"

"If our knowledge of Protectors is true they have immense ability to correlate. They could learn from the internet. Not everything, but enough to start work."

Dimity too examined what could be seen through the blue radiance of the field. She nodded after a long pause. "Yes. That's what it looks like."

"I agree."

"They don't have the hyperdrive . . . yet."

"Anticipation. They believe they will get it out of your mind. Or if not from you, from another."

"You will ensure I do not live to tell them, Vaemar."

"If it must be. But it has not come to that yet."

Two Protectors leapt out of a passage. Possibly the sight of the naked human female breeder halted the first one for a moment. Too fast for Dimity to follow, Vaemar swung up the beam-weapon and fired. The cantaloupe-head of the Protector exploded, hit between the eyes. The other, far faster than even the young kzin, dodged behind the Sinclair field. Vaemar, keeping his claws retracted, seized Dimity with his free hand and dragged her behind the cover of a metal partition. He raised the beam rifle again, waiting for the Protector to show itself. Then he had a better idea. Firing straight into the Sinclair field, he thought, might well have most spectacular results. It might even wreck the hatch cover and open the compartment to space, which would solve everyone's problems. Orlando would carry on his line. As he depressed the beamer's