Snowman in Flames Page 4

  "I am Topthor, the oldest member of our clan."

  "The smartest one too?" For a moment Topthor seemed to be quite confused by these peculiar questions, then he became furious, for after all, all the other commanders of his fleet were listening in and could hear how this

  Earthling made fun of him. "We are carrying on trade on all the inhabited worlds of the galaxy and I believe you might have interesting objects to offer and vice versa. Please state your exact location."

  "I can't allow you to land here as long as Rhodan hasn't given his express permission. State your position."

  "We want your landing coordinates, otherwise we'll land anywhere we please." "And?" "You'll find out soon enough."

  "Is this a threat? Don't underestimate us."

  Topthor laughed out loud and stroked his full beard. "Underestimate? If we could defeat Perry Rhodan, we won't have any difficulty with his home planet either."

  "Ah, you defeated Rhodan?"

  "Yes, but unfortunately he escaped. Will you give us your landing coordinates?"

  Rhodan quickly glanced at Bell, who handed him a piece of paper. Rhodan held the paper so that Topthor could also see what was written on it. Rhodan read aloud the following text: "Mars orbit-direction Earth. Velocity 4592 sec/mile. Direction MX-T4." Rhodan looked up. "We could talk to each other within 10 minutes, Topthor, if you like."

  "What is that supposed to mean?"

  "That is your present position and your flight direction and velocity. Don't assume only Rhodan possesses the means to wipe you out. And don't you believe either we didn't know exactly what happened near the Planet of Eternal Life. And finally, don't be so sure that we have only one ship of the Stardust class..."

  Rhodan was bluffing with the last statement but it worked.

  Topthor gave a sudden, involuntary start. "Are you referring to the giant spaceship?" But then he grinned. "You can't scare me away, Earthlings. Only Rhodan visited the Planet of Eternal Life and got the new weapon. You down there have nothing but conventional weapons and those we can handle quite easily."

  "Go ahead! Try it! I'm warning you once more: leave us alone, don't try to force your trade on us and turn Earth into another Springer colony. Do I make myself clear?"

  "We'll land in an hour," replied Topthor and cut off the connection.

  Rhodan stared at the blank picture screen. Then he turned to Bell.

  "Well, what do you say to that? They won't listen to reason. They won't negotiate. They believe they're perfectly safe as long as the Stardust and its new weapon is far away from here. My claim to possess several of these giant spacespheres will duly shock them. The survivors will tell their clan members about it—and Earth will play a role within the universe not to be taken lightly but to be greatly feared. Our planet will be known as a good place to stay away from. This is absolutely necessary for us in order to survive and attain our goal."

  He issued a few orders to Col. Freyt, then switched on the intercom of the Stardust .

  "Attention! Start in one minute. Observe all safety measures—we'll be flying with excessive acceleration while still inside the atmosphere. Attention! Fifty seconds to go. No transition! Weapon center—be ready for action! In exactly 10 minutes. Await my orders. Attention! Forty seconds till blastoff!"

  Bell fastened the wide belt around his broad belly. His eyes were glittering merrily and full of enterprise. "Maybe you are right," Bell tried to overcome his moral scruples. "These Mounders have to be taught another lesson since the first one didn't do the trick."

  "And then we'll proceed as fast as possible to Snowman. I'm very worried about Tiff and his friends there."

  "Especially Pucky!" said Bell and watched the turning hands on the dial. "Ten seconds to go."

  3/ "HANDS OFF EARTH!"

  Tiff could hardly conceal his amazement when he left the cave and walked out into the open. Only the tops of the nearby mountains were covered with snow and a bit off to the right on the wide slopes where the sun rays did not reach. Everywhere else the ground was black and free of snow. It was mainly bare rock but under the circumstances these bleak stones almost reminded him of home.

  Mildred Orsons shook her head, her long black hair flying like a windswept banner. It was bitter cold but it was quite bearable for a few minutes. It didn't seem quite so icy as they were standing in the sunlight and also protected by the rocks. "Doesn't look bad at all," she said gaily although she felt quite different inside. "I could even imagine there might be some life forms existing on this deserted ice world."

  "Right now we should only worry about our own lives," replied Tiff and smiled at the young girl. He knew that she was fond of him and had finally overcome her wavering attitude. She seemed to feel merely pity for Hump, which in turn had greatly relieved Felicita whose love for Hump had so far seemed quite hopeless. The only one who apparently was totally unaware of this complicated affair was Eberhardt. He got along famously with everyone and was content to be left in peace.

  "Tiff, do you think Rhodan will come in time to rescue us from this place?" asked Felicita in an anxious voice. It was her nature to be always concerned and a bit frightened. "Why aren't the Springers attacking us?"

  "They have their hands full right now," guessed Tiff. "Pucky saw to that."

  "What would we do without Pucky!"

  Tiff laughed. "You seem to be quite enamored of the little guy, Felicita."

  "Aren't we all to some extent? Milly, don't you agree?"

  The dark-haired girl nodded her head in assent and closed the helmet of her light spacesuit. At the same time she switched on her communication set. The others followed suit.

  "It's getting cold," she said. "I can't stand it for very long without protection. Or else I'll turn into an icicle."

  "An inhospitable world," remarked Felicita and pointed to the valley where occasional spots of snow were visible. "And its not only the Springers that make life so miserable here."

  "Most any world is good for something," countered Tiff who kept steadily examining the sky. "Even this one. Remember the Moon, it lacks air, and we can at least breathe here."

  "But the Moon is so much closer to Earth," Milly made an important point. "And that is what really matters."

  Tiff did not answer. For an instant he believed he saw a sudden flash of light high up in the blue-green sky but then he was sure he had been mistaken. He turned to Milly and placed an arm around her shoulder.

  "Distance has only a symbolic significance, not a practical one. You can be much more lonely on the Moon than here where we are 320 light-years removed from Earth."

  "Let's go over there to that little brook," Milly suggested. "It seems an eternity since I last saw a brook."

  They ambled leisurely across the dark rocks which stood in sharp contrast to the remaining areas still covered with snow. The ice floes were floating in the water but the ground seemed to be warm enough that it was not frozen over despite the cool air temperature. The water was rippling merrily downhill—not too long ago it had been ice and probably soon the water would freeze again.

  Felicita bent over; her voice expressed astonishment. "There is some life after all on this ice planet—look here! Real plants!"

  "Just algae, that's all," Milly said deprecatingly. But she encountered at once objections from Felicita the botanist. "Algaeare plants, Milly. They are the beginning of life. All life has developed from them—given enough time."

  All of a sudden Pucky appeared among them. He had simply teleported himself; most likely the little fellow had been too lazy to run all the way on his short little legs.

  "And these algae have had enough time on this planet!" he chirped with a strange emphasis. "Life has developed from them—even intelligent life. Return to the cave and I'll show it to you."

  "Intelligent life?" Tiff echoed slowly. "Do you mean to say you have found your so-called semi-sleepers?"

  "Just wait and see," promised Pucky eagerly. "They are wonderful little creatures—and besides the
y are telepaths. Or I should rather say: Hypno-telepaths, for their thoughts exert a strange and forceful influence if they address you."

  "Now what's that supposed to mean?" Tiff wanted to know, feeling cold showers down his spine. He remembered he used to feel the same way as a child when his grandfather would tell him some scary ghost story, especially late in the evening. "Hypno-telepaths?"

  "When they are thinking they can simultaneously influence the mind of other creatures. But don't worry, Tiff, they are absolutely harmless. Besides, they are afraid of the Springers."

  "What do they know about the Springers?" Tiff said in alarm. "How can they possibly know anything about them?"

  "The semi-sleepers are gifted with an incredible sensitivity. They have intercepted thoughts full of hatred emanating from space. And this can be only the thoughts of the Springers. They are not troubled on our account; they have recognized that we mean them no harm. But they are very frightened of the Springers and their evil intentions."

  "As long as they remain hidden deep inside the planet they have nothing to fear, nothing will happen to them," Tiff asserted in his ignorance.

  Pucky grinned. "You'll be mighty surprised!" he promised. "And now, walk back to the cave—or are you as lazy as I am?"

  Grumbling, Tiff started to move; Milly and Felicita followed. The young girl botanist threw a quick glance back at the algae growing along the banks of the little brook and decided to have another look at these strange plants later on. Pucky vanished—and awaited them inside the cave. It was pleasantly warm and the air was filled with an inviting smell.

  Hump looked up as his friends entered. "It's about time you're back. Dinner is ready. For a change, Eberhardt made himself useful today: he helped unpack the food concentrates."

  "The gravy would have been burned if I hadn't watched out. for it," Eberhardt defended himself against Hump's accusation. "That guy talks a lot and whatever he says is a lie."

  Pucky kept sniffing the air and was moaning in anticipation of a delightful meal. "I suggest we eat first. The semi-sleepers won't run off. At least not for the time being."

  "And later on they might?" Tiff couldn't contain his curiosity.

  Pucky bared his incisor with a wide grin. "Yes, later on they will—in spring. In about 50 years from now."

  Tiff looked closely at the little mouse-beaver but it was impossible to learn from the expression of his cute, sly features if he had been joking or not.

  RB-013 stood without moving in a corner and radiated a pleasant warmth. His heater was giving off warm rays fed by an inexhaustible energy supply from his Arkonide reactor. life inside the cave would definitely not have been quite so pleasant without the presence of the machine man. The young people sat down on some boxes and began to eat. The two master chefs Hump and Eberhardt were duly praised but they began to quarrel immediately as to who was mainly responsible for preparing such an excellent meal.

  This was the moment when Felicita dared for the first time to make open advances. "You cooked an excellent soup, Hump," she said and threw a glance of frank admiration in his direction. "I could not have done as well."

  Hump was always receptive to compliments. He puffed out his chest, looked sneeringly at Eberhardt. "When I get married my wife won't have to bother with the cooking," he promised.

  Tiff made a face. "You'll do that for your wife?" he inquired.

  "You bet!"

  "Ah—and you'll send your wife out to work, won't you?"

  "How do you mean that?" Hump could hardly bring out the words, he was so busy chewing.

  Tiff grinned. "Man, do you realize what it's like to be a housewife? To stay home and take care of a household? Why don't you ask Milly, for instance? She'll only have to cook and stay home later on when she gets married. But then on the other hand I won't have much to say in the kitchen, and all I'll do is bring in the bacon."

  Hump's face looked so stupid that Pucky burst out in squeals of laughter; even the robot's heating lamp seemed to flicker. But nobody paid any attention to this rare manifestation of the automaton's emotions; everyone was too busy observing Hump.

  The cadet of the spacefleet first turned pale as a sheet, then red as a beet. His gaze was wandering, fixed for a brief moment on each of his friends, but he was met everywhere by expectant glances which obviously were eagerly following the development of the situation.

  Finally his gaze remained fixed on Milly. "Is that the truth? You really want to marry him?"

  The girl nodded her head and a strand of her black hair fell across her forehead. "But didn't you know that already?"

  Hump swallowed. "How could I? Where should I have known that from?"

  Milly smiled innocuously. "Even if I were in love with you, do you really think I would steal another girl's boyfriend? And especially if I realized that this girl has lost her heart to you, which you are too stupid even to notice."

  Hump's face looked even more stupid now than before, if such a thing was possible. Tiff had trouble not to burst out laughing. Felicita looked most embarrassed. The spoon in her hand was shaking dangerously, spilling her soup. Only Eberhardt seemed disinterested in the whole proceedings. He ate his soup with relish, not paying any attention to what was going on around him, grunting occasionally contentedly, which caused Pucky to nudge him from time to time to urge him to mind his table manners.

  "A girl's in love with me?" Hump finally stammered, perplexed.

  "Why, can't you imagine anyone would fall in love with you?" Milly challenged him. "In any case, don't worry about me!"

  Hump's gaze wandered over to the deeply blushing Felicita, who had not counted on such unexpected assistance. She lowered her head, greatly embarrassed.

  "Is that true, Felicita?" whispered Hump.

  She slowly nodded her head.

  Pucky could not stand this any longer. "What strange creatures you are, you human beings! Of all things, you have to pick on this time when we should be enjoying a meal to settle such personal affairs. Don't we have more pressing things to attend to now?"

  Tiff pointed at the soup pot which stood on a larger box which served them as a table. "Isn't it amazing to what use one can put a pot of soup—besides eating it." He looked at Milly with appreciation. "If you hadn't spoken up, Hump would never have found out that Felicita likes him. He is too dense to notice anything and Felicita is too shy to speak up for herself. Well,that matter has been taken care of now. Is there any dessert?"

  This remark was enough to rouse Eberhardt from his usual state of being only half-awake. "Dessert?" he mumbled suspiciously. "Don't you ever get enough to eat?"

  Tiff stood up. "Just a cautious inquiry. Pucky, what do you suggest next?"

  The mouse-beaver, who had gradually grown accustomed to eating like his human friends, although he infinitely preferred dining on a live rabbit, bared his lone incisor, wiped his droll muzzle with his paws. "A walk after dinner works miracles they say," he pronounced solemnly. "Who wants to stay behind?"

  Nobody wanted to stay behind. Pucky grinned. "Okay, then we'll all go. I would advise you however to put on some rubber boots and the oldest clothes you can find. The road is difficult and wet. We'll all look like pigs afterwards."

  Eberhardt frowned. "I should actually be doing the dishes..." he began.

  "Heck, no you just want to get out of this strenuous march," Pucky reprimanded him. "Well, there is always one guy who wants to have special treatment. Permission granted!" mocked the mouse-beaver.

  As Tiff looked around for some suitable clothes to wear he caught a glance from Pucky. He did not understand right away what the little fellow meant by it but when he suddenly found himself removed nearly 300 feet toward the interior of the big cave, and when seconds later he was joined there by the two girls and Hump, he decided it would be better to wait for Pucky's explanations.

  The mouse-beaver pointed triumphantly in the direction of the weak glow of light from whence the unmistakable sounds of swishing water could faintly be heard.
A tin plate made a clattering sound.

  "Somebody has to keep things in shipshape order in our quarters," the little mouse-beaver declared, "or should it have been again up tome to do the dishes when we get back? —But don't worry, the road isn't bad at all, I was just trying to scare off Eberhardt —Do you have your flashlight with you, Tiff?"

  "I'm never without it, you little rascal you."

  "Fine, we'll need it. We'll make our way on foot from this point on. It isn't very far. The road will not get narrower. The semi-sleepers use it every spring when they migrate to the surface of the planet."

  "They can walk to the surface?" Milly said wide-eyed with wonder. "What are they?"

  "Felicita will be especially interested in them," promised Pucky but he was obviously not willing at the moment to say any more about the matter.

  "But Pucky, Felicita is a botanist, she is mainly interested in plants and not in zoology."

  "You'll be mighty surprised," reiterated Pucky and waddled off. He used his broad tail like a rudder and it helped him to walk upright like a human being. It provided balance and supported him whenever he would stop. "Watch out, don't bump your head. This corridor is alright for walking but once in awhile there are some low hanging rock outcroppings. The semi-sleepers aren't any taller than I myself."

  "Why do you always call them semi-sleepers?" Tiff wanted to know. "You can tell us that much at least."

  "I might," Pucky smiled cunningly. "They are sleeping but again, they are not. Their body is asleep but their mind remains awake. Tell me, don't you notice anything yet?"

  "Are we supposed to be mind readers?" Milly asked. "The semi-sleepers are capable of being noticed even by non-telepaths, that's what's so special about them. Let me know at once if you feel something strange, something—well, something different."

  Felicita had stopped. "I'm afraid," she said.

  Pucky whirled around as if something had bitten his tail. "You are afraid, Felicita? Afraid? Is this a strong sensation?"

  The girl seemed undecided. "I'm simply afraid, that's all."