Red Eye of Betelguese Read online

  Pucky could have teleported himself but swimming under water was too much fun to be deprived of so soon. McClears and Tiff were safe now, which was clearly indicated by Marshall's thought-waves. The Akvons had reassembled and were taking care of removing the rescued personnel from the danger zone as swiftly as possible.

  The mouse-beaver went deeper and swept along over the gorgeously colored sea bottom. Once he encountered a larger fish but it took one look at this astonishing creature and darted for safety as fast as it could. Pucky grinned happily, watching it go.

  And so it was that he arrived on the beach by the Gazelle two hours later than the others.

  He had taken his long awaited bath—but of course without getting wet...

  6/ TOPIDES & TERRANS—ALLIES?

  Perry Rhodan was in the midst of a conference with Khrest and Thora concerning possibilities of Interstellar colonization when he was interrupted by a sharp buzzing sound. He started for a second, then pressed a button on his wrist communicator. "Rhodan here. What is it?"

  "Hyper-communication from Betelgeuse, sir. Do you want me to take it?"

  "Advise Reginald Bell and hold it. I'll be there myself."

  Khrest and Thora saw him hurry from the room before they could ask a question. They got up and followed at a more leisurely pace. They, too, were interested in knowing what had happened out there 272 light-years from Earth.

  In a few minutes the elevator brought Rhodan to the Com Central hyperspace communications section. Communications Officer Eilman stood stiffly at attention and announced: "Maj. Deringhouse, Centurion, Betelgeuse System, requests top priority transmission for an important message. Distance, 272 light-years, Betelgeuse..."

  Rhodan waved him off defensively. "My dear Eilman, I'll admit you're the chief brass-pounder around here but why you have to warm over old hash is beyond me. If you can't give me news, it's better to invent some. Now what's with Deringhouse?"

  "He will be on in exactly 30 seconds."

  Rhodan nodded and seated himself at the receiver console. At the same moment, Bell entered, glanced briefly at Eilman and sat down next to Rhodan.

  "Now I'm really anxious," he said.

  "That's two of us!" returned Rhodan. "Where else could he be?"

  "I'll sure straighten that one's furry hide for him!" promised Bell and thus revealed that they were referring to Pucky—whom they had worried about to an extreme ever since the takeoff of the two heavy cruisers.

  "Let's wait and see," ordered Rhodan calmly. Before him, a green signal lamp flashed on. Then a distance-distorted voice emerged from the loudspeaker.

  "Deringhouse here. Calling Terrania..."

  "On the other end," said Rhodan. "It's good to hear your voice again, Deringhouse. Before you begin, there's a question: have you seen Pucky anywhere?"

  There was a short pause. Then Deringhouse answered, "Pucky is with us, sir."

  "Good. Now give us your report. Have the Springers shown up?"

  "It all depends on how you look at it, sir. We are the Springers. At least for the Topides. Besides, the real Springers..."

  "Come again, Deringhouse! Did you say Topides...?"

  Deringhouse gave his report. Rhodan and Bell listened with grave expressions. They didn't interrupt the major even once and he finally finished and gave a summarization:

  "So that was our plan and we each arrived at it completely independent of the other. I trust you will be in accord with our concept of the situation. Naturally, it would have been easy to destroy the ground stations and ships of the Topides with the help of the Centurion and the Terra but that wouldn't have gotten us anywhere. But this way we have a chance to kill two birds with one stone. Of considerable importance is the fact, in regard to all this, that the Topide commander, a certain Al-Khor, has sent out an emergency call to his home planet a few hours ago. He is requesting of the Dictator and ruler of the Topide stellar empire that help be sent in order to rescue the Betelgeuse System from the clutches of the Springers. The Dictator is deathly concerned about the Springers' planned raid. He's promised Al-Khor that he's going to dispatch a strong war fleet at once. That's what we're waiting for now..."

  Rhodan looked at Bell, who stared uncomprehendingly at the loudspeaker as though he were expecting a revelation. Then he raid: "That's excellent, Deringhouse. If your plan works out—and I'd like to bet that it will—we will achieve our original objective without lifting a finger. The attacking Springers will mistake the bitterly defensive ships of the Topides for those of the Earth or for its allies. On the other hand, the Topides will be perfectly correct in recognizing the Springers for what they are: the actual Springers. Their only error will be in mistaking their motive as an attack directed at themselves. We only have to take care that the two sides don't get a chance to clear up the mistake. Unfortunately, I have received no communication from Talamon, the one Mounder chief who is favorably disposed toward us. So I don't really know if he's going to take part in the attack. If he's smart, he'll stay out of it."

  Deringhouse's voice broke into the ensuing slight pause: "Your orders for us, sir?"

  Rhodan smiled suddenly. "Wait it out, Deringhouse. The best thing is for you to retreat to the third planet and act as though it's the Earth. Maybe you can succeed in attracting some of the Topides in that direction also. That way, the third planet will be more convincing in its role of Terra."

  "Understood, sir! Further reports as fast as new developments occur."

  "I'll be there soon," promised Rhodan, "so that we can prepare a warm reception for our friends. This time the Topides will be our allies—it's just unfortunate they won't know it!—Before you sign off, Deringhouse: have you placed our insubordinate, Pucky, in solitary confinement?"

  Deringhouse hemmed and hawed, then reluctantly confessed: "I'm sorry, sir, but we urgently needed the little—er, the lieutenant—on this mission. Frankly, we wouldn't have made it without Pucky. Am I permitted to make an observation, sir?"

  "Observe away!" Rhodan's smile broadened and Bell nodded eagerly.

  Deringhouse sighed audibly. "Pucky shouldn't be judged too harshly, sir. It was pure patriotic zeal that motivated him and not any insubordination for selfish reasons. Naturally I more or less raked him over the coals for what he did but then, under fire, he came through with flying colors. He even saved the lives of McClears and Tiff. Nobody else could have done that. So you see, in spite of..."

  "Alright, Deringhouse, you've made your point. Tell Pucky his misbehavior will be condoned this time but also inform him he's not to see a single carrot for the next 6 months."

  "Mm-m-m..."

  "You wanted to say something else, major?"

  "Sir... I don't think Pucky's going to be very happy about that."

  "I'm sure he isn't! Bugs Bunny was a carrot-hater compared to Pucky. It's my hope hell miss them enough to learn a lesson."

  "I doubt it, sir. I have a confession to make... You see, there was this bet and I lost it..."

  Bell exploded with laughter. He knew the kind of bets his bête noir snared people into. Plucky, the carrot-freak-nick! Several sadder but wiser betters had already paid off a small fortune in the crunchy vegetable—not to mention finger paralysis from back scratching.

  "Very well," said Perry, laughing now himself. "Maybe he'll finally get his fill of his favorite food and relaxation. Just take care that he doesn't bust his belly— we still need him in the fight to come against the Springers and Topides. Signing off, Deringhouse. Our best to the crew—and Pucky! Over and out."

  After the static in the loudspeaker died, Rhodan and Bell stared at each other for some time. The overall situation was one of deadly seriousness but neither man could repress a wry smile.

  Only Chief Communications Officer Eilman maintained a grave expression. He could not empathize with this kind of humor. Also, he did not possess sufficient imagination to visualize the picture which floated before the minds' eyes of Rhodan and Bell:

  Robots dragging sacks and crates
full of carrots out of the storerooms of the Centurion and into Pucky's cabin, where the smug mouse-beaver lay on the divan as majestically as a pasha of old and permitted Maj. Deringhouse to work off his first hour of back-scratching.

  One must avoid betting with Pucky—ever—unless one were a masochist psychologically seeking self-punishment, unless one nursed a neurotic need to lose 100% of the time.

  Anyone with a sense of humor would have agreed that it was regrettable that Perry and Reg were not also aware of the luncheon that loser Lamanche had volunteered to consume as an acknowledgment of Pucky's acumen: a meal fit only for a man with a cast iron stomach: 3 fighter robots.

  Without mustard.

  RED EYE OF BETELGEUSE

  Copyright © Ace Books 1973,

  All Rights Reserved.

  Printed in the U.S.A

  THE SHIP OF THINGS TO COME

  The Topides. Lizard-men. Former enemies of mankind.

  Now, to the great surprise of Perry Rhodan, the Topides are discovered to be maintaining military bases in the Betelgeuse system... and Perry is quick to take advantage of this fact, incorporate it as part and parcel of his gigantic diversionary manoeuvre.

  But—will the Topides, actually play their proper role when the enemy spacefleets of the Springers and Aras appear?

  And Topthor—the patriarch of the Mounders who has actually seen Earth's sun with his own greedy eyes: will he not realize immediately that the positronicon aboard his ship has steered him in the wrong direction, guided him to a false destination, the moment that he sees Betelgeuse? For no intelligent being could ever mistake the giant star for Sol of Earth's solar system.

  What then, when Topthor sees through the deception?

  Topthor is the key figure in the ensuing conflict, so dramatically recorded in the diary of Perry Rhodan in the next episode of the series known as...

  THE EARTH DIES

  by Clark Darlton