In the darkness and distraction, Knot summoned his remaining strength and dragged himself across the floor. He didn’t know whether he would find Finesse or Klisty or a snake first, but at least he would get away from Piebald.
“You are bluffing,” Piebald said. “You would be in as much danger from the reptiles as any of us.”
The rigged circuit box! If Knot could get back down there again—
“You just keep thinking that, Mister Pie,” the little girl cried. “Pretty soon you’ll know for sure!”
Knot found the elevator and crawled inside. Already he had considerable respect for the little girl, who was taking the lobos’ attention so well. Even if it was a bluff, it was tremendously helpful. But he found he couldn’t reach the buttons to operate the elevator. If he tried too hard, climbing up the wall, not only would he risk fainting, the noise he made would alert the lobos. His escape was precarious on several grounds.
Someone screamed. “A snake! I’ve been bitten!” It was a man’s voice—a lobo.
Knot heaved himself up and punched the first button he found. The elevator closed its door and began to move down, fortunately.
Now there was pandemonium in the villa. Knot could hear it over the speaker system. Lobos were encountering snakes all over, in the dark. Discipline had broken at last; the horror of fangs and deadly venom was too great. Klisty was having her fitting revenge.
Knot felt over the button panel, locating his floor by feel. He directed the elevator, and it stopped at the one he wanted. He crawled out, trusting that the snakes had not reached this level, and began casting about for his terminal box. This was not the same elevator he had used before, so his orientation was imperfect.
Meanwhile the babel in the speaker system continued. What a mess it must be up there! Klisty had acted with genius.
It took time, and pain, and iron will, but Knot kept crawling. His wounds were on the left side, which left his stronger right side intact; that helped some.
The elevator door behind him opened again. Oh, no—someone was after him! Knot had hoped he had been already forgotten; that was his great asset, the fact that out of sight was usually out of mind. Knot lay still, suppressing his heavy breathing.
“I know you’re there,” a voice exclaimed. “I can sense the water in your body. Give up, or I’ll shoot!”
“Klisty!” Knot exclaimed. “I give up! You don’t know me, but I’m on your side!”
“Are you the one who was going to blow up the mountain?”
She had been beyond his psi-range, listening on the speaker system. Thus she had not forgotten this. “Yes. I’m still going to, if I can’t rescue Finesse. How did you get down here? I thought you were perched on a cabinet, avoiding the snakes.”
“I was. But I can tell where they are, in the main villa, because the floors don’t match the conductivity of the snakes and people. So when the snakes went on by, I came down and caught a ’vator. I thought maybe that blowup circuit—I don’t know anything about that sort of thing, but maybe if I wiggled the right wire—but I guess you had the same idea.”
“Yeah. But I am wounded. It’s hard for me to get around. I have to crawl.”
“I’ll help you,” she decided. “Where’s the blowup place?” Childlike, she extended her trust too rapidly. But this was a blessing this time.
“On one of the walls of one of these rooms. If only Mit were here to locate it.”
“Who?”
“A friend of ours who happens to be clairvoyant. But he’s on another errand at the moment. You can move better than I can; see if you can find it.”
“Yes. I’d better try for Finesse too.” She took a breath. “Finesse? Are you awake?”
It seemed unlikely that Finesse could hear the call over the babble, even if she were conscious. But she did. “Yes! Where are you, dear?”
“Down below with whatshisname. I’m looking for the blowout box. Can you get down here fast?”
Now Piebald caught on. “The psis are escaping. Stop them!”
But no one responded to him. The snakes had terrorized the villa, so that no one was listening for orders.
Then the speaker system cut off. Piebald had gotten smart about that, realizing that it was benefiting his opposition more then his own side.
“I found the box!” Klisty cried. “Wires dangling loose and everything!”
Knot scrambled toward her voice. The lobos had set a barrier of sorts before it, a bench, evidently intending to work on it, but the pace of subsequent events had prevented them from doing that yet. Soon Knot had the wires in his hand. “I can set it off now,” he said. “Foolish of them to leave it open, but I suppose they didn’t dare fool with it. One wrong connection by an amateur could have destroyed them, literally! But if I start it going now, and Finesse can’t make it down here in time—”
“I can go back up and look for her.”
“And get bitten by a snake or caught by the lobos! Don’t risk it. If she’s conscious, she’s proof against those things, and you would only risk becoming a hostage. Better look for a truck instead. I think this is the vehicle level. I’ll blow us up along with the mountain if I have to, but I’d much prefer to escape. Do you know how to drive?”
“No, I’m just a little girl.”
He had to smile. He could not see her at all, in the dark, but she was definitely a little girl. “Well, see if you can find one anyway. I can drive if I can strap myself into the seat.”
She was off again, invisibly. Knot sat propped against the wall again, with the wires in his hand. He knew his best course was probably to initiate the detonation sequence, to be sure of destroying the lobos, but the fear of trapping Finesse in it still held him back. She was married, she had a family; he still loved her and could not bring himself to kill her if there were any conceivable alternative. If she didn’t make it down here—
“I found a truck!” Klisty called.
Knot, startled out of a developing reverie by her high voice, almost put the wires in his hand together for the detonation sequence. But perhaps that made no difference; now the decision was upon him. He could initiate the sequence, crawl to the truck, and barge on out; at least he would destroy the lobos and save the little girl. Or he could wait for Finesse—and risk losing everything. The snakes would not distract the lobos indefinitely. Once they got organized again, there would be real mischief.
Yet Finesse would be aware of the problem. She knew that Klisty, at least, was down here. Had Klisty mentioned Knot? Yes. So Finesse knew what he would be doing. She would use her psi to scare people away from her, perhaps generating the fear of herself—until she joined the child. If she were up and about, she would make it—and she seemed to be up. So he had to have faith—and be alert for her approach.
Yet again, he missed Hermine the weasel. A little telepathy, or Mit’s precognition, would be so welcome. But no use to wish for what was not available. He had become too accustomed to leaning on the psi talents of others; now he had to lean on his own abilities.
“Klisty—when she comes, we should feel some sort of fear, perhaps aversion. That will be the time to start the detonation countdown, and the truck.”
“I guess so,” she said hesitantly.
“Stay near the elevator. Let me know when you start getting frightened.”
“I’m scared already!”
“Of Finesse, not lobos.”
“But I’m not scared of Finesse!” Then she completed the connection. “Oh. Her psi!”
Knot heard the child move to the elevator. They waited. Klisty was right: he too was scared. So many things could go wrong, and if he passed out again, or the lobos charged in as they had before and stopped him, or suppose Finesse didn’t make it? If she got lost, or misunderstood what he was planning down here, or the lobos somehow blocked her off—no, they would be afraid to do anything to interfere with her. It was him, Knot, they could approach most readily, and Piebald would surely realize that soon. Well, this time Knot w
ould make sure to connect the detonation wires before he passed out. In fact, he could hold the wires so that even if he were lasered, they would come together. Even if they brought in vicious animals to launch themselves silently at him in the dark, or if a poisonous python slithered up and bit him...
Knot fidgeted. He was working himself into a state of unreasonable fear! He knew it was unreasonable, but still his breath quickened, his heartbeat accelerated, and he was frightened.
Suddenly Klisty’s cry brought him alert. “Something awful’s coming! I’m terrified!”
She too! Something was associated with the elevator. The room remained dark, but he knew where that elevator was—and a deep and expanding horror emanated from it. The lobos must have set something truly horrendous on his trail! “We’ve got to get away from here!” he gasped.
Klisty was already retreating from the elevator. Then she stopped. “Finesse! It must be her psi, just as you said.’
“That’s it!” he exclaimed. “Now it’s operating on us as well as the lobos, because she doesn’t know who or what lies in her way. No wonder it’s effective!”
All they had to do was meet her at the elevator and guide her through the dark to the truck. A terror explained was a terror abolished, wasn’t it?
It was not. This was not the fear rising from ignorance; this was directly induced, non-psychological emotion. No rational thoughts could abate it. It simply was. Knot found himself whimpering, drawing himself away from the source, though he had to desert his post by the switch box.
As the door to the elevator opened, Klisty screamed and plunged out of the room. Knot’s fear gave him strength to rise to his feet and lumber after her. Neither person could bear the proximity of that horror in the elevator,
“Klisty!” Finesse called. “Klisty, you hear me? I’m losing control—”
“Turn it off!” Knot screamed, almost gagging in his terror. “We can’t get close to you!”
“Oh.” Her exclamation seemed hysterical. “Of course! I never thought—”
Suddenly the fear abated. She had turned it off. Klisty turned about and ran to her; Knot heard the footsteps.
“Oh, Klisty! I’m so glad you’re all right!” Finesse said as they met. “Now if only we can find whatshisname—”
“I’m here,” Knot called.
But now they heard the lobos closing in. They, too had been released from the fear, and they too knew the stakes.
“We must get out of here,” Finesse said. “I can drive them off, but in this dark I have to do it generally instead of specifically, which means I’ll drive you off too.”
“Maybe you can drive us ahead of you, toward the truck,” Knot suggested desperately.
There was a series of sounds. “Finesse!” Klisty cried. “I’ve got you—what’s the—oh, you’re bleeding!”
“Her injury,” Knot said. “Her effort drained her strength!” He knew precisely how that operated. He started toward them.
“She’s heavy!” Klisty cried. “I can’t—”
“I can!” Knot said. The strength of fear was replaced by the strength of love. He lurched to his feet, reached the two, and got his hands around Finesse. He heaved her up over his right shoulder. “Lead me to the truck!” he gasped.
The child started off. “No, wait!” Knot cried. “The Detonation system—I forgot to—we’ve got to—” He staggered back toward the box.
“We don’t have time!” Klisty cried. “We don’t even know whether the truck will run!”
But Knot was determined. He had to destroy Piebald. “All the more reason to be sure this place blows, before they recapture us.” He reeled toward the wall, carrying his burden. They crashed; good, there was the wall. He slid along it until he came to the box, then let Finesse dangle across him as he felt for the wires. He connected them, hoping he had done it properly. “Fifteen minutes!” he puffed. “Now we must move out!” He wasn’t sure whether he was making sense, but believed he was somewhere near it. He lumbered on.
“Over here!” Klisty called.
But Knot’s brief splurge of strength, frittered away on inefficient movements, gave out. As he approached the truck, he stumbled, then collapsed to his knees and to the concrete floor, Finesse’s limp weight bearing him down.
“Get up!” Klisty cried. “The lobos are coming!”
But Knot could not get up, and Finesse was unconscious. They could do nothing. They had stretched their resources as far as possible, and that had not been quite far enough. At least the lobo stronghold would go down with them.
The lights came on. Lobos burst into the room. In a moment Piebald himself appeared, looking down at them where they sprawled ignominiously on the floor.
“Congratulations on an excellent performance!” The lobo chief maintained his mannerisms, even at the height of conflict.
“Thanks,” Knot gasped. “It is only fair to warn you—” He paused for a labored breath. “That I have set the destruct mechanism. So we’ll all go together.”
Piebald strode across the room and checked the wiring. He never bluffed or counter-bluffed when he didn’t have to. “Into the truck!” he ordered. “Bring the psis—all three of them.”
What was the lobo up to? Knot felt himself being roughly lifted and dumped. Klisty screamed and fought, but was loaded anyway. “Spray them with knockout,” Piebald called as he started the truck. “We don’t want her waking and using her psi again.”
There was the hiss of spray. Klisty’s screaming stopped, and she collapsed on Knot. Finesse, beside him, never moved. The vapor drifted across, and Knot felt himself fading out.
They had lost. He knew that. They might have destroyed the lobo stronghold, but the three of them would still be fodder for the lobotomy-testing program. Knot’s sensible course was to let his pained consciousness pass, alleviating his mental and physical suffering. The forces of mutilation had, after all, prevailed.
Yet he could not. Knot hated Piebald and all he stood for. The lobo wanted domination of the galaxy by criminal psi-mutants. Knot saw again the torture and murder of the fat woman Lydia and the old man NFG, and the attempted killing of Klisty. He had fought so hard to avenge all this—and the mere destruction of the volcano villa was not enough. He had to destroy Piebald himself, and the lobo organization.
So Knot clung to consciousness as he had clung to the face of the sea cliff when emerging from the enclave chasm. He refused to yield to the knockout drug as the truck bumped out along the tunnel. Knot’s body was frozen, but it still hurt, and that pain seemed to fight the drug. He had received a light dose; Klisty’s body had taken the worst of it, and shielded him.
But mere consciousness was not enough. The truck was rushing onward. Piebald and a couple of lobos were in the cab. The trusses of the tunnel roof support were shooting back blurringly. There was little hope that the detonation would occur before the truck cleared the mountain; Piebald well knew the danger, knew the time limit, and knew his fastest route out. He was perhaps the best-fitted person present to get the truck clear in time. Knot felt mixed frustration and relief. His survival, for the moment, was linked to Piebald’s, by unpleasant irony. How could he save himself and his friends, and destroy Piebald and his lobos and the nascent lobo empire, using nothing but his mind?
Finesse could have done it. She could have made the driver afraid of the road ahead, causing him to swerve into the tunnel wall. She could have made them all afraid of motion, so that they would stop and wait for the detonation. But Finesse was unconscious. Thoroughly so, since she had fainted before being touched by the spray.
Many other psis could have done the job—mind controllers or stunners or telekinetics or even a levitator, if he were strong enough to lift the truck’s drive wheels clear of the ground and prevent it from traveling forward. But no such psis were here. Knot himself was the only conscious psi here—and his talent was passive. Alone, he might be forgotten, and have time to recover and escape—but Finesse and Klisty would be remembered
. So his psi was useless in this situation. It really had not served him awfully well, on this adventure; he had had the advantage of being unknown to the lobo network, but now they had him in their files, and would not forget him for long. CC had depended on too weak an ally, overestimating the usefulness of initial anonymity.
Of course, CC had to have known about Finesse’s psi ability, and had used her memory of an otherwise unmemorable person to trigger it at a critical moment; that had been a very clever ploy. So in that sense Knot had served his purpose. He had not been the weapon, but the trigger of the weapon. But CC had outsmarted itself, thinking the animals would be with them at the key moment, and they were not. Hermine and Mit were with the gross one, thanks to Knot’s arrangement. Some help he had been there!
Light splashed down. They were clear of the mountain. Now the truck accelerated, putting distance between itself and the volcano. Piebald, cunning and ruthless, had saved them all, unfortunately. While leaving all his prior assistants and loyal supporters to perish without warning.
Hermine—Knot’s thought looped back to that. Finesse could send to her, one way, because the weasel was attuned. Finesse might get Hermine to summon the gross one. But Finesse was unconscious. No doubt Piebald was smart enough to keep all three of them sedated until they reached another lobo lobotomizing station. No chance there.
Could Knot do it himself? Hermine had been with him through a considerable adventure, and had known of him through Finesse too—which meant Hermine should remember him well enough. The intercession of a third party vitiated Knot’s psi, just as a written note did, or a machine record. He and Hermine had linked minds closely during the weasel’s engagement with the psi rats of the solar power station; that was about as close together as two minds could get. They had been separated for a while, but Hermine should be able to recall him, especially with Mit’s reminder.
Was she close enough, in distance and emotion, to tune him in as she had Finesse? If so, he might send to Hermine, and let her arrange a rescue. She would need the power of a human mind to draw on—but if she were still with the gross one, that should do. The gross one actually had a good mind, when it was accessible.