Read Online A Call to Arms by Robert Sheckley - Free Book Online Page A

six or seven robed figures seated in a circle around it. The figures were silent, mysterious. As his eyes became accustomed to the gloom, he saw that the encampment was ringed by tall stones, reminiscent of Stonehenge.
    It had happened again, but this time, it was different. Whatever mysterious power had seized him before had plucked him again from aboard the Excalibur . These beings held the answers to his questions, and there was something about them... something familiar, despite the alienness of the landscape. No, he wasn’t losing it--there was a motive behind his “visions,” and he was going to get to the bottom of it.
    Glancing upward, Sheridan saw two moons visible in the black velvet sky. This wasn’t Daltron 7. The wind rose and fell, and seemed to speak with a voice of its own, then died down as suddenly as it had arisen. The robed figures were talking among themselves, their voices raised in argument.
    Despite the robes, Sheridan recognized them instantly. Techno-mages. He had met their kind before, on Babylon 5. Faced with the Shadow menace, the techno-mages had chosen to depart for some unknown region of space. Before they left, Sheridan had been fortunate enough to speak with their leader, Elric.
    Elric had left Sheridan with a lasting impression. He had radiated a sense of calm, resolute power. Of knowing his place in the universe. Of knowing when to act, and when to wait. Despite the agitated nature of their discussion, these robed figures still possessed the indefinable aura that could come only from techno-mages. And they were arguing with one of their number.
    One of the techno-mages said, “You shouldn’t have brought him here. You’re endangering all of us.”
    Another nodded vehemently. “I agree. It’s foolish. Remember, Galen, we agreed to have no contact with outsiders.”
    So it was Galen again, Sheridan thought. The guy was up to his weird tricks once more.
    Galen, standing a little apart from the others, said, “And if our silence means the death of billions? You said I should explain myself to everyone involved. He’s involved, whether he knows it or not.”
    The first techno-mage said, “Galen, this is premature. We can’t make contact without proof---”
    “But we can’t get proof without contacting someone on the outside! This is insanity!”
    A second mage said, “Perhaps it is. But these are insane times. And this one... is he the best you could do?”
    “As a matter of fact, yes,” Galen said. “He is the one person who can give us what we need.”
    He paused a moment, then said, “We all know what is at stake here if I’m right. Yes, we must protect ourselves, but in doing so we cannot turn our backs on those we left behind.”
    “All right,” the second mage said. “We will allow this one contact, no more. But if you compromise our hiding place, if we risk death because of your actions... understand that you will be the first to die.”
    And suddenly, in a flash of lightning, all the techno-mages were gone. Only Sheridan remained near the fire, and the tall figure of Galen.
    “They’re upset with you,” Sheridan said.
    “Not upset. Afraid. Fear makes wise men foolish. In my case, I can only hope it makes fools wise.” Galen stooped and stirred the fire, then looked up at Sheridan. “Do you know who... what we are?”
    Sheridan said, “You called this an electron incantation. A dead, and probably deliberate, giveaway. You’re techno-mages. You use technology to simulate the effect of magic. I met one of your kind before.”
    He remembered clearly the time that techno-mages had gathered at Babylon 5, on their way to escaping the Shadow War. Sheridan had spoken with one of them, Elric, and he remembered being impressed with the wisdom and character of the man.
    His brief contact with these almost legendary characters had had a big effect on Sheridan. He had always regretted that he hadn’t had a chance to check out some of the common legends about the