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  "Perry," he chirped before Rhodan could ask him why he had come here, "the Topides are dismantling the sensor beam installation. I'd love to give those lizards a hand with it. May I...?"

  "The Topides are more underhanded than the Brain!" exclaimed Atlan.

  "That's why I thought it might be cute if all the disassembled parts were placed safely on board the Kublai Khan," Pucky grinned, showing his single incisor tooth. "It'll save us a lot of trouble later..."

  "But you will leave Harno here, Pucky!" Rhodan ordered. "And don't stick out that fuzzy neck of yours too far, do you understand?"

  "OK!" enthused the mouse-beaver. "But take good care of Harno for me, Boss..." The air shimmered once more around Pucky and he vanished in a teleport jump which took him to the Topides' secret installation.

  The mouse-beaver’s unexpected appearance had caused them to momentarily forget about the five Arkonide auxiliary craft. Just as Rhodan was turning his attention to them again, Bell contacted him on the telecom.

  "Three of those Arkonide space balls have come overhead. They're scout snoopers. No answer to our radio calls. On-Tharu's in fire readiness. If they drop down any closer or land in front of our ship, we'll give them a welcome with our heaviest tractor beams. OK?"

  "Right—but tractor beams first, before you.

  "Oops!" interjected Bell. "May be a false alarm. They're turning away again.

  But how come the other two are hanging on your heels? The sneaky things are half a mile above you. Don't you see them?"

  On board the Kublai Khan, Bell was presently making full use of all available observational equipment on the super battleship. At maximum magnification of the positronic optical system he had such a close view of the small spheres that they seemed to be only 10 feet away.

  "Don't attack them!" Atlan called into the microcom instead of Rhodan. "I have a hunch these five scoutships are on the lookout for Topides who are suitable for recruiting..."

  "Well spoken, Admiral," Bell answered with a tinge of mockery. "You probably haven't forgot your Arkonide soldiering days! OK! Over & out!"

  At an altitude of 2,500 feet, the Topide hovercraft moved with astonishing speed toward the metropolis.

  Atlan shook his head as he stared at the slender but exceptionally high structures ahead. "What kind of crazy architecture is that?" he muttered, half to himself.

  Rhodan had already asked himself this question minutes before. And along with Rhodan and Atlan their companions were expecting at any moment that the buildings would collapse because they seemed to violate all normal structural principles.

  Then Rhodan suddenly exclaimed: "Stalactites... stalagmites! Do you think that's a clue as to where these reptiles originally came from?"

  Atlan stared at his Terranian friend, nonplussed for the moment. To him the words stalactite and stalagmite were rare but he finally recalled that stalactites were formations caused by the dripping of water in limestone caverns and that they suspended from the ceilings, whereas stalagmites were their counterparts which built up toward them from the floors of the caves. This is what all the buildings of Kerh-Onf looked like—pillars of limestone as in a titanic cavern— but it still didn't explain why they all didn't come tumbling down, before the first blast of wind.

  "They must be held up by antigravity," asserted Atlan. He continued to shake his head perplexedly over this city and its structures. "I could say there's no other explanation but it's still a form of madness to build a city..."

  "It may be a primitive instinct, Atlan... an unconscious memory of some primordial age when the Topides were still cavern reptiles."

  "Too bad they're not still down there," said Atlan, while looking straight down through the observation port. The glider and the other craft following it were preparing to land in front of the largest building in Kerh-Onf.

  At an elevation of 100 feet was a landing platform that surrounded the weird skyscraper structure Eke a platter. But the group of reptiles moving raybeam projectors into position on either side of the great entrance portal did not go unnoticed.

  Having been guided in by a precision automatic landing device, the gliders were now lined up in a straight line next to each other.

  The arrival of the Great Arkonide Attor on Topid was dramatized by the marching and platoon-forming robots, which had every appearance of Arkonide fighting machines. But an even greater impression than Rhodan in his resplendent uniform was made by the Admiral, Atlan. A typical Arkonide arrogance was expressed by his every step and mannerism. Whereas Rhodan was forced to enact his false role, Atlan gave full rein to his natural habits of old.

  The 40 or so reptiles present only bowed in principle before the power and might that was embodied in the representative of the Great Coordinator, for they were again shrewd enough to perceive that any resistance against the Empire would only result in the annihilation of their binary solar system.

  The standard phrases of greeting were exchanged in Intercosmo, Rhodan disposed of the amenities in two curt sentences. With the third sentence he was already telling them why he had come to Topid.

  "...And I not only demand that all Topides be brought before me here in Kerh-Onf who were engaged in the space battle in the Vega sector but also that an examination be made of all particulars connected with that engagement. Now I require that my delegation and I be accommodated in some chamber that is befitting to my commission. Or isn't it understood on Topid how a direct emissary of the Great Coordinator is to be received?"

  The expressionless reptilian faces did not betray what kind of impression the words of the Arkonide Attor had made. The Topide named Tgex-go stepped forward. His close-fitting olive green uniform was distinguished from the others only by three white stripes. "Please follow us!" he replied curtly.

  As Perry Rhodan, Atlan and his mutants took their first steps forward, the robots closed in on both sides of them, shielding them in all directions. Ten minutes later, after coming out of the central elevator shaft, they entered a vast assembly hall. Tgex-go continued on ahead with his companions to the right and finally stopped at a group of seats which were especially designed to accommodate humanoids.

  After Rhodan and Atlan alone had sat down, Rhodan asked, "Tgex-go, are you the President or the Dictator?"

  "Your Lordships," replied the reptile, "the double-sun system of Topid is no longer ruled by a dictator but by the people..."

  "I didn't ask for an education, Tgex-go," retorted Rhodan in an irritable tone. "So you must be the President, if you are not the Dictator?"

  The eyes of the reptile began to glitter coldly. The tone Rhodan had used was simply impossible—but among Arkonides it was nevertheless their practiced manner of speaking to subjugated and colonial people. Whoever didn't like it would always feel the might of the Greater Imperium.

  "Distinguished sirs..." Tgex-go once again violated Arkon protocol.

  Atlan snapped at him: "At the spaceport I already made it clear to your deputy, Xxal-Ri, that I shall be addressed as Your Lordship, and you shall address Attor; the representative of the Great Coordinator, as the Great Arkonide. Now may I expect that you reptiles finally get that through your skulls?"

  Once more there was a slight evidence of unrest among the Topides but a signal from Tgex-go silenced the rising murmur. Without commenting on Atlan's admonishment, he began, "Great Arkonide, we have nothing to hide from the Greater Imperium..."

  Now fully playing the part of Attor the Arkonide, Rhodan interrupted: "Spare us your lies, Tgex-go! How is it then that you are at this moment scurrying as fast as you can to remove all evidence of the new sensor device, which is designed to destroy the defense screens of spaceships? Are you not attempting to conceal this apparatus from our eyes?"

  "OK, Barbarian—let them have it!" Atlan whispered to him in English.

  Tgex-go seemed to start in a very human fashion at this, as did his companions. "Great Arkonide..."

  Once more he was not permitted to finish his sentence. His thin lips clos
ed in a reaction of horror as a member of the Arkonide commission suddenly proclaimed in haughty tones: "And you were also in command of a battleship at the time your invasion of the world of the Ferrons began! Come along, Topide!"

  Two robots stamped forward simultaneously. The sinister-looking fighter machines stretched out their metallic arms and grasped the reptile. Although he had briefly considered flight, now he didn't dare to move. Nor did the others of his kind.

  "Sir..." Rhodan was receiving an amplified telepathic message from Harno. "Tgex-go is thinking of a room that is about 300 feet beneath us. That's where most of the records are concerning the battle in the Vega sector. The Topide is also trying to figure out why Arkon is interested in digging up this ancient history. Besides that, he's still terrified that we are informed about the secret sensor device. Tgex-go is not at all fond of paraphysical phenomena..."

  This was interrupted by a call over Rhodan's wrist-microcom. Also a call came in for Atlan. Both clicked on their small receivers. It was Reginald Bell on the other end.

  "For five minutes John Marshall hasn't been able to make contact with Pucky. But something also happened five minutes ago in front of the two robot spaceships that we haven't been able to explain so far. So I'm calling you because..."

  "Hold it!" called Atlan into his micro-mike. The air between him and the Topides had begun to shimmer and now the mouse-beaver Bell was searching for made his appearance.

  "Have you taken leave of your senses?!" snapped Rhodan imperiously, only to forget his indignation immediately as he added: "You look a mess—what happened?"

  The mouse-beaver straightened up, trying to add to his three foot stature, but was not successful. "Mission completed, Chief, but I had a run-in with the robots, shall we say, of the 'other' Establishment! They were quicker to know about that prober-beam thing than we were. They even must have known that I snatched away all the pieces, and suddenly they were after my hide, because I guess I'm a suspicious-looking character. Every bone in my body aches, Perry. I came within a hair of getting the worst beating of my life! But Atlan, you can give my fond greetings to your robot Brain and ask him when he's ever going to make those robots so they're able to stand a half-mile drop! I tossed up 14 out of 16 of them and then let them crash. When they came down they splattered like ripe tomatoes. But I couldn't catch the last two and that's why I took the direct route to get here. Perry, those things are new models. These robots have real brains in their heads! They..."

  Bell cut in again on the microcoms. "Our Mickey Mouse friend hasn't been telling a fairy tale. We have eight robots standing outside and they're demanding entrance into the ship. Their request is coming in here like a broken record over and over... And here comes the next swarm of them, flying this way. I make out maybe 30 or 40 units..."

  "That's my cup of tea!" chirped the mouse-beaver next to Rhodan. And before the latter could say anything to prevent it, Pucky was already gone.

  This unexplainable disappearance of a creature into thin air filled the reptiles in the room with horror, and Tgex-go, their President, was shaken the most.

  Rhodan noted this and saw his chance to confuse Tgex-go even further. "President, you'll find out soon enough why the Great Coordinator of Arkon is interested in those incidents of the past. I shall personally put my staff to work in the archives, which are located 300 feet below us here. Meanwhile, you and your Government, for the moment, have nothing to do other than to bring all Topides who were active at that time to Kerh-Onf and place them at our disposal.

  "In the name of the Great Coordinator, I demand that within one hour a government announcement be in effect which will require all Topides to exert every possible effort to assist us in the search for old pertinent records and eyewitnesses.

  "Tgex-go, I will tell you that I have to wind up this mission within two days. Every hour I have to remain here longer than that period will cost you reptiles 3,000 space pilots, who will be consigned to the front immediately!"

  It was a very severe threat. It wasn't easy for Rhodan to express it but if he wished to, maintain his front as an Arkonide he had to talk like one. Arkonides never asked for something—they demanded it.

  "Great Arkonide," replied Tgex-go, who had been badly shaken by these mysterious proceedings, "the Topide people and their government, will do everything possible to fulfil the assignment which the Great Coordinator has imposed upon us. Am I permitted to retire with the People's Council and begin initiating what has to be done?"

  Perry Rhodan's nod was hardly perceptible yet not a reptile missed it. When he and Atlan and the mutants were left to themselves for a short time, Rhodan said: "I feel as though I were sitting on the proverbial powder keg!"

  7/ AN ILL WIND BLOWS

  For a period of 24 hours it appeared that Perry Rhodan with his desperate all-out mission on Topid was going to be able to stop the universal wheels of history so that an overlooked and forgotten event of 70 years ago could be falsified just the way he desired.

  For 24 hours, everything went along like clockwork.

  Even the robots from the two recruiting ships had lost all curiosity concerning the On-Tharu after losing an additional 33 fighting machines.

  Also for the past 24 hours mouse-beaver Pucky had wallowed in the indescribable ecstasy of having been more formidable than Arkon's newest fighting machines. In his lively fantasy he kept reliving the scene in which he had incapacitated the robots by means of his telekinetic powers.

  During this same period of time the group of specialists who were unconditionally assigned to duty on board the Kublai Khan had been working with the mutants and coming up with one triumph after another. It was determined that eight Topides were still alive who had taken an active and responsible part in the Vega sector affair. Two of these reptiles had been attached to the radio tracking station which at that time had received and traced the emergency call sent out by the Arkon research ship on the Moon.

  These two Topides had hardly been brought before an examining team of mutants before a Gazelle took off for the southern pole of the planet. The tracking station was surprised and occupied, whereupon eight Terranians in the guise of Arkonides proceeded to turn the place upside down, raking through every available dispatch file and positronic data bank.

  John Marshall personally led the expedition. Finally, at a certain point of playing the old tapes, his hair almost stood on end. "Play that back again!" he ordered in a husky tone, although he was sure he had heard it correctly.

  Again came the playback—a mere three millimeter section of the strip. The automatic translator connected to the output reproduced the message in precise English. And there was the spot again:

  "Phi 43: 72.6458... Chi 09: 79.3852... Psi 18: 00.9851. Hypercom frequency: 4763 0086... frequency 0999, galactic exploration ship. Time: 456:735:886 Arkonide standard time, astronomical error adjustment +/.031. Input field strength 3rd +/- 2. Topide station at 456.735. 886. Phi..."

  "Thank you!" Marshal said and Dr. Benthuys quickly shut off the replay.

  Benthuys not only held a captain's commission for light cruisers and was a specialist in interval-positronics, he was also a Class 1 astro-navigator, and his hobby was the meta-mechanics of Arkonide hyper-math. Although his reddish complexion and perpetually rough-shaven face gave him the appearance of a backwoods farmer with a preference for hog grits and gravy, nevertheless he was always first to respond to any challenge that called for his penetrating intelligence.

  And this was one of those challenges. He hunched over his work next to John Marshall, scribbling numbers and formulas on an old-fashioned scratch pad that he held on his knee, and employed a still more old-fashioned lead pencil to do it with.

  "Marshall," he said in the midst of his calculations, "I need a fast readout on Earth's position for..."

  Marshall simply switched on the coded Com-Link channel of their radio so that Benthuys was speaking directly to the Control Central of the Kublai Khan.

  Five minutes later he had
the data he needed. "Hm-m... " he kept mumbling but did not mark down a single number. Just when Marshall was thinking the operation would probably take another half hour, Benthuys got up suddenly, drew him over to a large star chart and pointed with his pencil to a small dot that represented the planet Topid. "This is where we are now... You heard the coordinate data, Marshall. A hypercom transmission hardly every contains information about its point of origin but this message of 70 years ago does give it! That is, it's because the Topides were even able to determine the field strength at the input side, which is not possible normally... Ah! But you see if you take about a half a thousand variables into consideration and by a sort of vector summarization draw a hypothetical line on any decent star chart, going outward from Topid, its direction should give you a result of... something like... Ha! And thus we would be back to your Vega sector again, which is fairly close to the Earth..."

  Which marked the end of the 24-hour period of grace in which Rhodan's desperate undertaking appeared to be working favorably. Their radio receiver gave an alarm signal. Dr. Benthuys suddenly paused in mid-sentence. Marshall turned to the receiver and heard the Chief on the other end.

  "How much longer will it take you there, Marshall?" he asked, without preamble.

  "Anywhere from four to six..." The Chief of the mutants did not get any further.

  "Two hours, Marshall! We don't have any more time than that. Is the Gazelle concealed or camouflaged? Do your men have their space suits on?" This sounded ominously like a top alert. When Perry Rhodan spoke in this manner, usually there was a cloud of trouble brewing that was thick enough to cut with a knife. What could have happened?

  But John Marshall did not venture to ask. If the Chief did not offer an explanation it meant that he didn't have time for it. Marshall looked questioningly at Benthuys, who would be the one to decide whether the assigned task could be accomplished in two hours.

  Benthuys nodded.

  "OK, Chief, in two hours we'll have the record alterations finished here. Dr. Benthuys feels it can be done and..."