Snowman in Flames Read online

  But the little mouse-beaver energetically shook his head. "Don't try to spoil my surprise," he declared. "Of course there is a very good reason for this but you'll find out in due time. Just be patient. Don't you feel anything else?"

  Felicita pointed ahead into the darkness. "Where are you leading us, Pucky? How far is it still? I'm really afraid."

  "So you are afraid," remarked Pucky and seemed to be quite pleased. "That's exactly what I expected. You are the most sensitive of the group and therefore our best guinea-pig."

  Tiff's forehead suddenly showed a deep furrow. "Now listen, Pucky. I admit you have some remarkable talents, but let's not overdo things here. You are indulging in mysterious hints but you don't intend in the least to give us any explanations. I'm quite positive you know exactly what's going on here. Why don't you tell us what this all is supposed to mean?"

  Pucky grinned; he was quite obviously very amused. Tiff's remonstrations made not the least impression on him. "Don't begrudge me a little fun. Tiff. Isn't it enough for you if I guarantee that this is absolutely not dangerous? If Felicita experiences fear, this only confirms my theory. All of you will soon feel that same fear. I'm telling you that beforehand so that you will be forewarned. These are the thoughts of the semi-sleepers, which your brain receives like an antenna. You are feeling the fear of someone else, not your own emotions."

  Tiff had listened attentively. The deep furrow had cleared away from his forehead. "Now you have revealed part of your surprise to us," he stated, "how about the rest?"

  Pucky pushed out his lone incisor. "Under no circumstances!" he protested energetically. "Or else I'll transport myself back to the cave and help Klaus with the dishes."

  Milly grew frightened. "Please don't do that, Pucky! You can't abandon us down here now. I promise I'll tickle your tummy for one solid hour tonight if you like."

  Pucky grinned. "Okay, I accept the offer." He nodded his little mouse head graciously. "Let's continue on our way! It can't be much farther now."

  Tiff reacted with surprise. "I thought you knew where it is?"

  "Of course I do, but do you really believe I walked all this way before? I just made a few sample stops here and there. That's why I don't know how far it is. But if I am not mistaken we should see the light just around the next corner."

  Tiff stopped suddenly in his tracks. Hump, who could not see too well as they had only one flashlight and who besides was preoccupied with his thoughts, bumped into him. Both men cursed. Then Tiff got ahold of himself. "Light?" he asked.

  Pucky nodded impatiently and—seemingly-with regret. "Yes, light. Now you made me give away another part of the secret. From now on I'll just keep my mouth shut."

  He marched ahead without bothering to check whether the others were following him or not. But they hadn't much choice but to follow the little guy. Hump muttered something about 'lack of upbringing' which obviously referred to the mouse-beaver's bad manners. Tiff silently agreed with Hump but didn't express his thoughts. The girls also were silent as they kept walking along. Soon they reached the turn in the road Pucky had mentioned earlier. The path widened. A light was shining ahead.

  "I declare!" Milly cried out and shivered all over. "A light! Pucky, how can there be a light down here so deep underground? Is it artificial?"

  "I don't know," replied the mouse-beaver, who looked like a magnified Micky Mouse in the uncertain light. It sounded for once as if he were speaking the truth.

  So they refrained from posing further questions, merely concentrating on following Pucky, who was waddling ahead with increased speed.

  The corridor became wider and higher. Tiff estimated that they had been walking a good half mile. Since the floor had been all the way very gently down-hill, they should now be some 150 feet below the surface of the ground. And certainly much deeper if the path had led inside a mountain.

  The light grew brighter.

  At last Pucky took a final step and entered a huge hall. With a dramatic gesture he lifted his arms and made an all-encompassing motion. At this moment he looked like a pocket Napoleon. Under different conditions Tiff would scarcely have denied himself the pleasure of making some snide remark but he kept quiet now. For he was struck dumb by the sight that presented itself to his eyes.

  Also the others had come to a halt and stood there, their mouths hanging wide open in surprise. Were they dreaming? But the waves of panicky fear which swept over them made these dreams appear very realistic indeed.

  They were standing in a hall whose diameter must have been several hundred yards. Exactly in its center sparkled the smooth expanse of a small lake with a fountain spouting forth in the middle. The fountain was not very high but the thin jet of water was sprayed evenly so that a light rain came drizzling down in all directions. The rocky walls of the hall were of irregular shape and showed no signs of any artificial treatment or changes. The various nlches seemed to have been created by nature as well as the fountain and its spray.

  And the light also seemed a work of nature!

  The four human beings just stood there, staring upwards to where in the middle of the ceiling a shining sun could be perceived. The sun was round but not so evenly round that it would have resembled a real sun. It was much more like a huge diamond which glowed from the inside out while spreading light and warmth. Only now did Tiff notice how warm it was down here. Not overly warm or even hot but nevertheless around 35°.

  "How did the light get here, Pucky?" asked Tiff.

  "Forget about the light now, there's plenty of time for that later. Haven't you noticed anything else, Tiff?"

  Felicita was not so interested in the phenomenon of the strange light, for which she could find no explanation. She directed her attention to the niches in the rock walls. Suddenly she cried out. But it was not a frightened shout or one filled with horror, rather an exclamation of enormous surprise.

  The others temporarily forgot all about the sun in the rocky roof and looked in the direction of Felicita's outstretched arm. Pucky was standing there, his front-paws crossed on his furry chest, leaning on his broad tail and grinning widely.

  "Flowers!" stammered Felicita and advanced a few steps toward the next niche some 60 feet away. "Real flowers—here, deep underground!"

  There was no denying the fact that these were flowers, Tiff thought to himself. The young botanist was right. The niches were filled with a rank growth of colorful, tulip-like plants, with an abundance and luxuriousness such as usually found in the tropical jungle. They grew so closely together that not another plant could have found room there. A strong perfume emanated from them and pervaded the entire hall. Tiff wondered briefly why he hadn't noticed this earlier.

  "Come!" urged Pucky. "Have a closer look at this botanical garden. It's well worthwhile."

  Hump, disgruntled as usual, was growling: "I thought we were supposed to visit the half-sleeping intelligences of this world and now we have landed in a tulip garden!"

  "Flowers on this iceworld are a miracle in itself," admonished Tiff. "Why should we pass up looking at a miracle? Felicita will be especially interested to examine these growths."

  Pucky seemed to have not the slightest intention of ever stopping grinning today.

  Tiff followed Felicita, who had gone ahead to the next niche; she was now bending down a little to have a closer look at the blooming tulips. The rest of the group followed suit, since there seemed nothing better to do.

  The plants resembled tulips indeed, greatly enlarged tulips, which would have been the pride and joy of any horticulturist on Earth. The long stems carried magnificent blossoms, which however were closed. The typical tulip shape was unmistakable. Red and orange dominated but there were also blue, yellow and violet flowers. The stems ended in roots which disappeared into seemingly cultivated earth. It almost looked as if a thoughtful gardener had prepared the ground with skilled and loving care.

  Felicita straightened up again. "These are flowers, definitely—maybe some variation of tulips. I wonde
r how they got here? Somebody must have planted them."

  "The semi-sleepers?" Tiff suggested cautiously.

  Pucky stopped grinning. He shook his head. "I thought the same thing at first, Tiff. I imagined the semi-sleepers were flower lovers—but I was wrong to a certain degree. Why don't you examine these flowers more thoroughly, Felicita? Doesn't something strike you there?"

  The young botanist bent over once more to inspect the large petals. She didn't need to bend low for the flowers rose to a height of almost three feet. Her eyes narrowed as she noticed the fine but firmly closed clefts which were arranged around the calyx. Each petal, she noted, had such a cleft.

  "Maybe these are carnivorous plants," she ventured but it was easy to see that she was not too convinced of this notion. "In any case, they possess openings which they can open or close at will."

  Pucky suddenly gave forth with peals of squeaky laughter and started to dance around a circle with his short little legs. He emitted shrill sounds probably as an indication of his joy.

  "You guessed it!" he snorted finally, while Tiff and Hump looked at each other in rare agreement, both probably filled with the same thought. They obviously were assuming that the mouse-beaver had lost his mind.

  But they were soon to learn that this was not at all the case. For when Pucky had finally calmed down he said: "Correct, correct! They can open or close these openings whenever they please. But these are no oral orifices, they are not used for eating. On the contrary. Just watch now what's going to happen, then you'll finally find out for yourselves."

  He stepped next to Felicita and touched one of the flowers with his velvety paws. Slowly he kept stroking the red petals. He was so careful and gentle that it was as if he were caressing his sweetheart.

  And the miracle happened.

  The caressed tulip opened its tiny slits. The four human beings stared awestruck into an eye which gazed at them inquisitively!

  "May I present the semi-sleepers to you?" asked Pucky and he bowed and scraped in his best manner.

  Orlgans was watching as his first officer and several other members of his crew placed the bomb inside the ice. First they melted a deep hole with the aid of heat rays until the snow turned to ice. The pit filled with water but this played no great role in their planned enterprise, since water was just as much matter as ice or snow.

  Then Raganzt bent down over the bomb and set the clockwork in motion. With the help of a rope they lowered the deadly instrument of total annihilation down the hole. Orlgans still kept silent. He had passed on the irresponsible order but he made no attempt to prevent its execution. And it was not too late yet. Not until 30 minutes from this moment would the chain reaction be released. If that were to take place in space the chain reaction would soon be stopped for matter was too thinly spread there to maintain this process.

  But Orlgans did not think of these things now. He wanted to get away as soon as possible from this planet which soon would be turned into hell—a hell created by his own hand. Orlgans together with Raganzt and the other men returned to their ship. Once inside the command center he established radio communication with Etztak and reported the execution of his commands.

  The patriarch expressed his satisfaction but could not conceal his anxiety. "Return at once. We just received a radio message from Topthor. He had to flee from Terra in emergency transition. His battle fleet has been destroyed except for two vessels. He refuses to help us and has decided to return to his base."

  Orlgans had meanwhile overcome his initial shock.

  "He refuses?" he whispered perplexed. "A Mounder refuses to fight for money? Then something terrible must have happened."

  "He had 16 ships originally—and now he has only two left. And to top it all off—he was fighting against only one Terranian."

  "Rhodan!"

  "Yes, against Rhodan. I'm afraid he'll give us too plenty of trouble. It might be advisable to withdraw."

  "Without rendering him harmless first?" Orlgans could not believe the sudden change of mind his patriarch had undergone. "That would mean defeat."

  "We'd come back later on. The Terranians are too underdeveloped to resist the Springers for any great length of time. Only the fact that some Arkonides came to their assistance made them seemingly superior. But this is not the only matter at stake. This Rhodan knows the position of the Eternal Planet. He must share this secret with me."

  "Is he willing to do that?" doubted Orlgans with complete justification.

  "He will have to—some day!" asserted Etztak with self-assurance. "I'll return with a gigantic fleet and..."

  His face vanished from the picture screen but the voice communication remained uninterrupted. Orlgans could hear some frightened voices call out, then a few shouted commands. Finally after some minutes filled with suspense Etztak's face reappeared on the screen. Fear and uncertainty, but also death-defying determination, flickered in the eyes of the grey-thatched patriarch.

  "Orlgans, hurry! Start at once but be careful when you join us. The two Terranian cruisers have renewed their attack and this time they really mean business. They possess amazing weapons. We are defending ourselves but it almost seems they received new orders. We can't get rid of them."

  "Perhaps we could take them by surprise if we come from another direction," suggested Orlgans but he was immediately seized by remorse for ever having made such an offer. Wasn't it madness for him alone to attack the two cruisers if Etztak's fleet couldn't manage to drive them off?

  "Try it," Orlgans encouraged the old man while issuing orders in between. "But withdraw in case you are attacked."

  The patriarch nodded briefly, then the screen went dark again. Orlgans waited a few seconds, then his hands flew swiftly across the buttons and leavers of the automated controls. A soft hum came from the interior of the ship. For a moment Orlgans was wondering where the other ship might be that was supposed to accompany him on this mission but then he reassured himself with the thought that after all somebody had to take charge of aerial coverage. Peculiar, though, that he could not establish any contact with them.

  The ORLA XI took off.

  Down below in the eternal ice a rectangular, black hole remained, harbouring death for this world. He shuddered while he imagined what soon was going to take place down there. A normal atomic explosion would generate such heat that snow and ice would melt within a wide radius. But here it was not the question of a simple atomic explosion. At first the lighter elements would be transformed and then change into energy. Then the heavier elements would follow until finally the heart of the planet would metamorphose into the center of a flaming hell. Then the system of Beta-Albireo would have a new sun.

  Despite Etztak's orders, Orlgans felt he had every reason to again use delaying tactics. He was not too tempted to enter into battle with the two cruisers; he would be more than happy if the Terranian ships would have left the scene by the time he arrived in that area. While he was leisurely gliding above the white expanse of unending sheets of snow and ice, not in the least intending to gain altitude, something very strange happened some 50 miles from the death bomb.

  Raganzt had left the command center when Orlgans suddenly became aware of another presence in the room. He knew he was no longer alone; he sensed that someone was standing right behind him watching closely what he was doing. He whirled around abruptly—and stared at the strangest creature he had ever laid eyes on. It was about three feet tall, looked like a gigantic mouse, had a broad tall on which it leaned and it regarded him with gentle eyes.

  Pucky!

  Naturally, Orlgans had no idea who Pucky was and what Pucky could do. As far as Orlgans was concerned the odd intruder was some animal which gave no indication whether it was dangerous or peaceful. For an instant Orlgans thought this must be an inhabitant of this hostile world who had managed to steal aboard unnoticed after the ORLA XI had landed near the north pole. He was soon cured of this notion when Pucky introduced himself.

  "Kek! So that's what a murder
er looks like!" said Pucky in perfect interkosmo.

  Orlgans turned pale when the animal began to speak. He was not so much startled by what the animal was saying but that it could speak seemed inconceivable to him. For a moment Orlgans forgot that there were many intelligent races in the universe that didn't necessarily have the appearance of the humanoid races.

  "Kivu? Who are you?" he asked, still totally shocked and dumbfounded. He had completely forgotten his raygun which dangled from his belt.

  "My Karani call me Pucky—and one of these friends is Perry Rhodan. Ah, you are puzzled how I got inside your ship? No cause for wonder: I am a teleporter. Yes, and a telepath, too. Upsetting? Sorry; I can't help that."

  "What do you want?" groaned Orlgans.

  "You, murderer, are asking what I want?"

  "Why do you keep calling me a murderer?"

  "Because you plan to destroy a world inhabited by living creatures—intelligent life, Orlgans! You must be punished for this!"

  "Etztak gave the order, he will have to justify his deeds before the Supreme Court, not I..."

  "We don't hold the Springers' court of justice in high esteem," chirped Pucky. "We do the punishing ourselves."

  Orlgans' face was as white as the cliffs of Dover. His right hand whipped down to his belt but his pistol was faster. All on its own, it slipped out of his holster and rose to the ceiling of the room, where it stuck as if someone were holding it there.

  "Soki!" Pucky said sarcastically. "Sorry, I forgot to mention that I am also a telekin. As I said already, I have come to carry out a judgment."

  "I demand to be brought to trial in a proper manner and before a properly authorized court!" shouted Orlgans in the hope someone might hear him. "Nobody can be executed without being rightfully sentenced!"

  "Judgment has been pronounced already; the sentence is—Grot!"

  "Death?!" The Springer recoiled. "Who usurps the right to sentence me to death?"

  "Not you alone but your entire crew!" Pucky enlightened him. "And would you like to know who condemned you to die? Alright, you shall know it: those whom you have condemned to die—and you have pronounced a death sentence on an entire world!"