XIX.
"Trucks almost here. Y'know what to do?" Naxa asked.
Jason nodded, and looked again at the dead man. Some beast had torn hisarm off and he had bled to death. The severed arm had been tied into theshirt sleeve, so from a distance it looked normal. Seen close up thislimp arm, plus the white skin and shocked expression on the face, gaveJason an unhappy sensation. He liked to see his corpses safely buried.However he could understand its importance today.
"Here they're. Wait until his back's turned," Naxa whispered.
The armored truck had three powered trailers in tow this time. The trainground up the rock slope and whined to a stop. Krannon climbed out ofthe cab and looked carefully around before opening up the trailers. Hehad a lift robot along to help him with the loading.
"Now!" Naxa hissed.
Jason burst into the clearing, running, shouting Krannon's name. Therewas a crackling behind him as two of the hidden men hurled the corpsethrough the foliage after him. He turned and fired without stopping,setting the thing afire in midair.
There was the crack of another gun as Krannon fired, his shot jarred thetwice-dead corpse before it hit the ground. Then he was lying prone,firing into the trees behind the running Jason.
Just as Jason reached the truck there was a whirring in the air and hotpain ripped into his back, throwing him to the ground. He looked aroundas Krannon dragged him through the door, and saw the metal shaft of acrossbow bolt sticking out of his shoulder.
"Lucky," the Pyrran said. "An inch lower would have got your heart. Iwarned you about those grubbers. You're lucky to get off with onlythis." He lay next to the door and snapped shots into the now quietwood.
Taking out the bolt hurt much more than it had going in. Jason cursedthe pain as Krannon put on a dressing, and admired the singleness ofpurpose of the people who had shot him. They had risked his life to makehis escape look real. And also risked the chance that he might turnagainst them after being shot. They did a job completely and thoroughlyand he cursed them for their efficiency.
Krannon climbed warily out of the truck, after Jason was bandaged.Finishing the loading quickly, he started the train of trailers backtowards the city. Jason had an anti-pain shot and dozed off as soon asthey started.
* * * * *
While he slept, Krannon must have radioed ahead, because Kerk waswaiting when they arrived. As soon as the truck entered the perimeter hethrew open the door and dragged Jason out. The bandage pulled and Jasonfelt the wound tear open. He ground his teeth together; Kerk would nothave the satisfaction of hearing him cry out.
"I told you to stay in the buildings until the ship left. Why did youleave? Why did you go outside? You talked to the grubbers--didn't you?"With each question he shook Jason again.
"I didn't talk to--anyone." Jason managed to get the words out. "Theytried to take me, I shot two--hid out until the trucks came back."
"Got another one then," Krannon said. "I saw it. Good shooting. Think Igot some, too. Let him go Kerk, they shot him in the back before hecould reach the truck."
_That's enough explanations_, Jason thought to himself. _Don't overdoit. Let him make up his mind later. Now's the time to change thesubject. There's one thing that will get his mind off the grubbers._
"I've been fighting your war for you Kerk, while you stayed safelyinside the perimeter." Jason leaned back against the side of the truckas the other loosened his grip. "I've found out what your battle withthis planet is really about--and how you can win it. Now let me sit downand I'll tell you."
More Pyrrans had come up while they talked. None of them moved now. LikeKerk, they stood frozen, looking at Jason. When Kerk talked, he spokefor all of them.
"_What do you mean?_"
"Just what I said. Pyrrus is fighting you--actively and consciously. Getfar enough out from this city and you can feel the waves of hatred thatare directed at it. No, that's wrong--you can't because you've grown upwith it. But I can, and so could anyone else with any sort of psisensitivity. There is a message of war being beamed against youconstantly. The life forms of this planet are psi-sensitive, and respondto that order. They attack and change and mutate for your destruction.And they'll keep on doing so until you are all dead. Unless you can stopthe war."
"How?" Kerk snapped the word and every face echoed the question.
"By finding whoever or whatever is sending that message. The life formsthat attack you have no reasoning intelligence. They are being orderedto do so. I think I know how to find the source of these orders. Afterthat it will be a matter of getting across a message, asking for a truceand an eventual end to all hostilities."
A dead silence followed his words as the Pyrrans tried to comprehend theideas. Kerk moved first, waving them all away.
"Go back to your work. This is my responsibility and I'll take care ofit. As soon as I find out what truth there is here--if any--I'll make acomplete report." The people drifted away silently, looking back as theywent.