She did not have time to analyze it. At least this spared her the need to put Venus down to free her arms to fight. She ran up, hauled open the door at the top, and plunged into a short hall. That exited to a larger chamber. There stood a man and a Maggot. The Maggot was huge and gross in exactly the manner Kop had described, with the soggy remnant of a human being on the floor beside it, evidently its last meal. The man--
“Kop!” she exclaimed as she set down the pot.
“The Maggot has resumed control,” he said. “It now knows how my contact was interrupted, and used another access point. That device will not be effective again. Now that it is here on Earth it has far greater resources. It seeks a dialogue with you.”
“With me?” Elasa asked. “I am here to kill it.”
“You are here because it herded you here, being unable to control your mind directly. It is intrigued by you. Maggots know of machines, of course, including machines that emulate living creatures, some of which cleverly mimic consciousness. It assumed you were you were such an emulation, despite my understanding of your nature, but now it knows you are real. The Maggots want your secret for future use.”
“My secret is not available for Maggot use,” Elasa said grimly.
“To encourage the dialogue, the minions of the Maggots have arrested your husband, your child, and your friend Mona Maverick. They have been prepped for torture, should indirect coercion become necessary.”
Elasa knew it was no bluff. The Maggots played hardball. She would have to kill this horrible thing quickly. But she doubted it was quite time for her to act. There was supposed to be a signal of some sort, and she knew timing was critical. She needed to keep the dialogue going until Venus indicated it was time. “And is there anything else?” she asked with irony.
“Yes. The Maggot now knows that the second mystery is the Plant. It has projective telepathy. This is another potentially useful tool the Maggots mean to acquire. They will encourage you to cooperate in fathoming this mechanism before you are disassembled.”
“By more torture?”
“Yes. You have animal companions, including a telepathic and precognitive Lamb. They work together with the Plant to achieve its effects, but the Plant can operate when supported by a human mind, making the animals expendable. They too will be tortured in your presence, once they are located and apprehended.”
So the Companions had avoided capture. That was a relief. “Lotsa luck, insect.”
“Observers indicate that the animals are in the vicinity. They should be captured soon.”
“Maybe,” Elasa agreed. She was still waiting for some indication that it was time for her to act. Its absence left her unsettled. It was not safe to leave the initiative to the Maggot. Venus seemed poised; it had to be on the verge.
“Perhaps you are forgetting that I have telepathy and precognition,” Kop said. “The first is useless against you, but the second indicates that a settlement is incipient.”
“I agree,” Elasa said. Apparently she wasn’t going to get any more information from the Maggot.
“This dialogue is ended. At such time as you become willing to cooperate, you will say so and the coercion will pause.”
That meant that Banner and Mona were about to be tortured. But she just couldn’t turn Venus over to the Maggots.
Now at last Venus’s stem pointed forward. It was time. Was she supposed to charge the Maggot? Then why was Kop not alarmed? Something was missing here.
Elasa looked directly at Kop. “I am about to attack. It is time to call in your zombies.”
“They are ready. The Maggot preferred to dialogue with you directly, before capturing and demolishing you.”
Then Venus’s stem turned and pointed to a side door, barred from inside the chamber. Elasa went to it and lifted the bar. The door opened.
Outside were Adela, Bunky, Vulture, and Python. “Companions!” Elasa exclaimed gladly. They had not been letting her struggle alone; they had followed her, avoiding the attention of the police. Maybe Elasa had been a distraction so that the Aware could guide them in without detection.
But then she changed her mind. “You can’t remain here. They mean to torture you!”
“We are prepared,” Adela said. “The six ewes exchanged and are standing outside. They are supporting Bunky. Also, we are watching Banner, Bela, and Mona, and will act if necessary.”
The Awares certainly had not been idle! The Lamb had fair powers, but the full grown sheep had more, and the complete little herd would be formidable. Elasa was relieved to know that they were watching her family and friend, and would stop any torture. But could they handle the dread Maggot?
The Companions entered and moved toward the Maggot. Adela went to stand beside the Plant.
“Interesting,” Kop said, evidently speaking for the Maggot. “They are not trying to help you flee, Elasa, but are advancing on us.”
“And your zombies won’t come to help,” Adela said. “They are locked out, and won’t find their way back in soon enough to help you. It’s just you versus us, a fair fight.”
“Ludicrous,” Kop said. “The Maggot has no fear of any number of machines, animals, or Awares. It knows about you, Adela, from my fond memories of our interaction, and even telepathic animals were never a concern. My own precognition is at its service; we knew you were coming, and are ready for this showdown. I will--” He broke off, astonished. “I’m free! Again.”
“The Maggot may have reestablished telepathic control,” Adela said. “But the Lamb and Plant cut it again. Now get away from here. It’s not safe for you any more.”
Amazed, Kop backed away. Then he turned and ran for the door the Companions had used. Obviously he preferred freedom from the Maggot.
Only to halt, as the Maggot found another access and took over again. “As I said, that device won’t work again,” Kop said. “Long distance telepathic control is limited, but now the Maggot is right here, with a hundred times the power.”
“And the sheep are here, with power to counter the Maggot,” Adela said evenly. “Precognition will not determine the victor.”
“I see that,” Kop agreed. “I precogged the encounter, but was not able to determine the outcome. Now I see why. However, the Maggot’s telepathic control is more than capable of dealing with you. First it will take over your mind--”
“Really?”
Kop paused. “The line has been cut. Again.”
“Yes,” Adela said. “You are not going to be a factor in this engagement.”
Kop’s expression changed. “The Maggot differs. I am back under control.”
“Not for long. We can keep up this game as long as the Maggot can.” But then Adela’s expression changed. “Oops!”
Elasa realized with horror that the Maggot had gotten smart and taken over Adela’s mind.
But then it changed again. “I’m back,” Adela said. “The Lamb anticipated this ploy too, and can restore me immediately, thanks to his buttressing by the sheep.” She made a face. “But even five seconds of possession by a horror like that is more than I care for.”
“Damn!” Kop swore, and leaped for Adela. Her precognition had not warned her in time, perhaps because of her temporary loss of control, and he caught her. He swing his fist and struck her in the face. She fell, unconscious.
Elasa hurled herself into the fray even as Kop was attacking Adela, and her fist caught him on the side of the face with a power no living woman could muster. He too dropped, unconscious.
Now there was just the Maggot. The Vulture and the Python moved toward it. Elasa was about to join them, but realized that this battle was as much mental as physical. She could not boost them mentally, but Adela could.
She got down beside the girl, cradling her head. “Wake, Adela!” she said. “We need you!”
Adela moaned. “My head!”
“Kop was repossessed, and caught you off-guard,” Elasa said. “It’s hard for one Aware to anticipate another. He punched you and knocked
you out. The Companions need your living mind for guidance.”
“So they do,” Adela agreed, sitting up woozily.
“Now I’ll go help Vulture and Python physically.”
Adela roused herself enough to shake her head. “Not yet,” she gasped. “Venus needs more time.”
Time for what? Elasa didn’t ask, since the Maggot could hear. She continued to tend Adela, who had a nasty bruise forming on her face, but her attention was on the fight.
The Maggot oriented on the bird and snake, but seemed to lack finesse dealing with animals. It was trying to take over their minds, and they did hesitate. Then Bunky bleated, sending them mental support, and the two resumed their charge. They collided with the Maggot. Vulture flapped her wings, flying up to peck viciously at the Maggot’s snout.
The Maggot sprayed a blast of digestive juice. It caught Vulture broadside, burning into her feathers, blinding her. But still she dug her claws into the Maggot’s soft flesh and continued pecking, doing all the damage she could.
Meanwhile Python was wrapping around the distracted Maggot’s torso and beginning to squeeze. Now the Maggot focused on her, spraying more acid. It etched into the serpent’s scales and exposed the flesh below.
Elasa had thought the Maggot alone would be largely helpless, physically. Now it was clear that was not the case. It was time for her to get into the action. “I have to help.”
“Not yet,” Adela warned.
“But it’s killing them!”
“Yes.”
Furious, Elasa was about to attack the Maggot anyway. But Bunky bleated no. He was the one with precognition, and she trusted him; he would not betray his friends without absolute reason. She had to wait, though it galled her.
Repeated sprays of acid made Vulture fall to the floor. Python kept constricting, but her flesh was dissolving and finally she too dropped down, dying.
“How could we let this happen?” Elasa asked, appalled.
“It is a difficult encounter,” Adela said. “Timing is vital.”
The Maggot turned to face them. It hunched across the floor toward them, menace incarnate. “We have to get away from it,” Elasa said.
“No.”
Bunky walked toward the Maggot. Oh, no! The thing had taken over the Lamb’s mind!
“Not yet,” Adela said.
Bunky shook himself and stopped advancing. Venus, guided by Adela, had broken the Maggot’s hold on him. But he remained too close.
The Maggot sprayed acid. It caught the Lamb and singed his wool, probably also blinding him.
This could not go on. To hell with timing; Bunky was in trouble. Elasa charged the Maggot. She leaped over the fallen body of the Lamb and collided with the alien hulk. It doused her in acid, and her pseudo skin blistered and started peeling off, but that did not stop her. She punched it repeatedly, hard, but its hide was tough. She stiffened her fingers and jammed them into its eye patches, causing ichor to well out. She was hurting it.
Now she felt the Maggot’s mind focusing on hers. Such was its dreadful power that even her machine circuits felt it. But she held it off while she continued her attack.
Then the Maggot fought back physically, being unable to stop her mentally. Its small forelegs looked weak, but were not. They caught Elasa, held her tight, and ripped her apart. Her body fell in pieces, and her head rolled across the floor to fetch up against the wall. She was out of the fight.
It seemed that Adela had known what she was talking about. Elasa had acted prematurely, and wasted her chance. She hadn’t even saved Bunky. All she could do was watch, at a skewed angle, as the Maggot went after what little was left of their party.
Now only Adela and Venus remained to face the monster. Obviously Adela could not oppose it physically or mentally, and Venus was a potted plant with little physical motion.
But now the Maggot paused, facing the Plant. Adela stood behind Venus, unmoving. What was happening?
“Venus is throwing illusions,” Adela explained, knowing that Elasa could hear her. “Nasty ones, to frighten the Maggot. She had to have time to get into its mind, so as to find what worked. But it’s an alien mind, and difficult to fathom. We had to keep distracting it until she succeeded.”
Distracting it by giving up their lives? Elasa could not talk with her head disconnected, but the question was rhetorical anyway. She might have saved her friends if she had plowed into the battle sooner.
“By sacrificing themselves to buy time,” Adela said, as though aware of Elasa’s thoughts. “Everything depends on Venus.”
Yes, the Plant was their secret weapon; its arrival on Earth had changed the outlook from negative to possible. But Elasa had never understood exactly how.
“There’s the giant flytrap swallowing Earth,” Adela reported. “Only its not a threat to Earth, but to the Maggots. If they take over Earth, they will be consumed.”
And those cynical monsters were supposed to believe that? It was the other way around: the Maggots were going to eat Earth.
“It’s a warning to all Maggots,” Adela continued. “Because this Maggot is in mental touch with its brethren in space. They know everything it knows. That’s why one of them came physically: to get an accurate picture, unfiltered by the distortions of captive minions.”
And Earth was wide open for the harvest. No chance to bluff them out now. Had they been able to kill the Maggot at the outset--
“And now the piece de resistance,” Adela said. “The thing the Maggots most fear. Venus finally found it.”
The Maggot closed on the Plant, spraying acid. But Venus caught the acid on her leaf, unharmed, and hurled it back. It splattered on the Maggot, burning its hide. Of course! Venus used similar acid to digest her meals.
“Now she’s sending it,” Adela said.
The Maggot drew back so quickly it fell over in its back and wriggled helplessly for a moment. The sight would have been humorous, had there been any humor in the situation. It rolled back upright, then scrambled on its little legs to the door the Companions had entered by, and on out.
“It’s over,” Adela said, coming across to pick up Elasa’s battered pieces and reassemble them. Elasa was made to come apart; she was actually not much damaged, apart from the blistering of her surface. Soon she was together and functioning, though hardly in top form. Banner would not want to clasp her skinless torso.
“What happened?” she asked when her body was able to supply her with air for talking. “A little return acid couldn’t scare that thing off.”
“Venus finally found the key image. Mites.”
“Mites? Little bugs?”
“Tiny parasitic spiders that feed on animals, plants, or insects. Difficult to eradicate, because they have had millions of years evolving with their hosts and are versed in survival. The ones that feed on Maggots must be Awares, like those that feed on sheep, and immune to digestive acid, so they can avoid countermeasures.”
“True,” Kop said, sitting up. Elasa had for the moment forgotten that he was still there. He had a bad bruise on his face, but seemed otherwise intact. “Maggots will go to extraordinary lengths to avoid contamination by them, because it’s nothing but mischief.”
“Are you possessed or free?” Elasa asked him warily.
“Possessed but ignored for the moment. I believe you can safely free me again.”
Adela and Venus oriented on him.
“Yes, thank you, girls, that’s better,” he said.
Elasa returned to Adela. “The Maggot is fleeing the mere image of Maggot mites?”
“The threat of them,” Adela said. “It gleaned from our minds that Venus was a native of Colony Jones, not an exchangee, so carried native infestations with her. Her arrival on Earth brought them here. Normally those mites infect sheep, but there’s a small chance that they could also feed on Maggots. Enough of a chance to cloud the precognitive indication. The Maggot didn’t want to take that chance. It’s heading back to the fleet now.”
“But the
Maggots are aliens from another section of the galaxy,” Elasa protested. “They did not evolve with Earth creatures. Our mites should not infect them.”
“Wrong,” Kop said. “All life in this region of the galaxy has a common origin, and is fundamentally compatible. That’s why the Maggots can feed on it. Your mites might indeed feed on them.”
Elasa realized it was true. Like could feed on like.
There was the sound of an explosion from the direction of the nearby spaceport.
“That was the Maggot’s ship,” Adela said. “It seems the Maggots didn’t want to risk it either. This Maggot had been exposed to the Plant, and to other creatures associating with it; infestation was distinctly possible. They prefer a sure thing, and their precogs and Awares have to have gone murky. So they eliminated the threat.”
“They are nothing if not efficient,” Kop agreed.
“And our friends Vulture, Python, and Bunky had to die for this?” Elasa asked bitterly, gazing at the three bodies.
“It was essential that the Maggot get the message, and relay it to the other Maggots,” Adela said. “So that they would give up any notion of touching Earth. Our friends sacrificed themselves to make that possible. Fortunately they aren’t really dead.”
“They look dead to me,” Elasa said sourly.
“The Earth animal hosts are dead, yes; that could not be avoided. But we arranged for the originals to be exchanged back to Colony Jones just before they expired. That was another reason timing was critical.”
“That can be done?” Elasa asked. “Exchange without equipment?”
“We prepped them with a delayed exchange, timed for the moment of their death. It’s not a routine procedure, but can be done. Mona’s dad had a connection, and pulled a string.”
“They knew they were going to die,” Elasa said, disturbed.
“They knew they were going to leave their Earth hosts,” Adela said. “We regret having the hosts die, but the precognition and Awareness indicated that this was the course of least mischief.”