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.Atone end of it was a square tower, but he was standing like a statue in thegloom of the main hall.He turned as they came in, and in two of his handswere a pair of long candlesticks.'What's this place?' asked Kin, staring up into the shadowy roof.'A house of religion, I think,' said the kung.'I was consideringinvestigating the tower.There appears to be a stairway inside.' He wasunnaturally cheerful, and looked at her in an odd way.'The view from the top should be extensive.We could plan the rest ofthe day's flight without putting a further drain on the belts' batteries.''But the belts are perfectly--' Kin began, and stopped.Marco wassemaphoring wildly with his two free arms.'We must conserve our power!' Echoes bounced back from the depths ofthe building.He looked at Kin and pressed a finger to his lips for silence. folks.' He handed the sticks to Kin and pointed to the further end of thehall, then soft-footed it towards the open door.They saw him flattenhimself against the wall.'Well, let's go,' said Kin weakly, and started swinging the sticks.Therewas some difficulty in getting Silver up the winding staircase at the far end,and Kin felt a real fool helping two sticks to climb stairs.'Learned something very interesting about the demon, Marco,' saidSilver.Then she replied in a remarkable impersonation of a kung: 'Whatwas that, Silver? Well, you know matter transmission has been tried anddoesn't work? Well, it does on the disc.How do you mean? Kin noticed it.Tell him, Kin.'I'd better join in, she decided, otherwise they'll think I'm nuts.Whatdo I mean, they?'The Company put a lot of research into straight matter transmission,'she said.'In theory it ought to work, it's a logical extension of stratamachine or dumbwaiter operation.Trouble is, it takes power.Far too much.And the best anyone managed was a two-millisecond displacement, thenthe subject just snapped back to the here.''Aye, I heard about that,' said Silver in Marco's voice.'The continuum isvery anti sneaky stuff like matter transmission.Starhopping it has to put up They just move the focus of the transmitters.He's here, he can see and hearand touch, but he's not here.I don't know why he stays tied up,' she addedas an afterthought."They could move him outside the ropes.'"Then the sooner we get back--'There was a scream.When they arrived breathless at the doorway Marco was standing withall four hands clasped around a bundle of black feathers.Two small shiningeyes watched them intently.'It just sauntered in through the door,' said the kung.'What was all the business with the candlesticks?' said Kin.Silversnorted.'Marco deduced the creature must have phenomenal sound-detectionapparatus,' she said.'It seemed logical that if it heard three of us climbingthe tower--''It's far too heavy for a bird,' said Marco.'It must be a machine.Now wecan talk to the disc controllers and explain--'The raven turned its head 180 degrees.Marco's mouth closed like aclam. 'Marco!'His hands jerked back.The raven stayed in mid-air, balanced on a thinactinic flame that filled the hall with shadows and set the flagstone belowcracking like springtime ice.Then it wasn't there.Kin had just enough sense to throw herselfbackwards as pieces of roof rained down.They looked up at the raggedhole, far above, and heard the cry:'You'll be sorreeee!''Talk,' suggested Marco.'I PLEAD.''Who runs the disc? Where are they? How may we contact them? Weshall require adequate directions and a detailed assessment of probablerisks.'Kin stepped forward and smiled reassuringly at the tethered giant.'Where did you come from, Sphandor?' she said.'l HAVE ALWAYS UNDERSTOOD THAT A DOG WITHSTOMACH GRIPES PAUSED NEAR A LOG AND THE SUNHATCHED ME OUT, LADY.DO NOT LET HIM NEAR ME! I CANSEE HIS THOUGHTS AND--' 'Of what?''AGONY, LADY.PAIN.THE WORLD DISAPPEARS, AND THENONE IS IN A NEW PLACE AND THERE IS AGONY.''But you have attempted to go there?''THERE is NOTHING THERE BUT BLACK SAND, LADY, ANDTHE BONES OF SHIPS, AND IN THE CENTRE A DOME OF COPPER,AND TERRIBLE ENGINES! THEY CANNOT BE TRICKED! 'Kin kept trying for another ten minutes, then gave up.'I believe him,' she said, joining the others and dialling for coffee.'He's manifestly a product of complex technology,' said Marco.'Yah, but he thinks he's a demon.What am I supposed to do? Argue?''If I chopped a foot off perhaps he would think differently?' said Marco,reaching for a knife.'No,' said Silver, drumming her fingers on the dumbwaiter's dome.'No.Ithink not.Marco, we must assume that the disc builders tend to think likehuman beings, and humans set great store by mercy and fair play, at leastwhen it does not conflict with their interests.Let us therefore set thecreature free, thus demonstrating our moral superiority.The action willdeclare us to be merciful and civilized.In any case,' she added, and they 'ZAIGONEN TRYON (TFGKl) BERIGO HURSHIM!''So much for gratitude,' said Silver.'You understand the language?' said Kin.'No, but I think I got the drift of that.''ASFALAGO TEGERAM! NEMA! DWOLAH NARMA! WHEREARE YOU, SOIGNATORIE, USORE.DILAPIDATOR --NOOOOOOOO--'For an instant the demon was a black cloud that filled the sky, a fog offlickering, fuzzy images -- each one staring in terror.Then he was gone.There was a thump of inrushing air.They flew high and fast over forests flattened by the falling ship.Thesmoke column was thinning, but now they were within miles of it the skywas all smoke.Marco aimed directly at it, daring it to contain enemies.Ahead of Kin,his suit glittered like a silver spark against the darkness.Once inside, Kin was surprised that she could still see.It might havebeen better if she could not.Between billows was the landscape of hell.After five minutes inside the smoke Marco spoke. as in trio in the smoke.Marco was still staring down.'I don't believe it,' he said softly.'Let's go down.''I'm flying blind,' complained Silver.'You must direct me so that I don'thit the ground.''You won't,' said Marco.Kin let herself drop, tensing herself for the crash until she came out ofthe smoke into moonlight.Shining upwards.Vertigo gripped like a wrench.She could take space, becauseeverywhere was down and direction lost its meaning.Skimming over alandscape was fine, it was no different than driving an aircar.But not this.Not hanging legs down over a hole in the world
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