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Authors: Philip José Farmer
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embodiment
but the god itself. And it ruled the planet. Tolt was a true theocracy.
"We stood in a corner and watched a ritual which was not explained to us
and which I won't describe, since it is available in a report. The ceremony
was interrupted when Commodore Benagur suddenly fell to the floor. Though
he seemed to be unconscious, he struggled when I picked him up to take
him to the ship. Two priests helped me carry him out, and he was still
struggling violently while we did so."
The bridge personnel were uneasy, no doubt wondering why he was describing
what was well-known.
"The commodore was examined, but no evidence was found that he had suffered
some kind of epileptic seizure. He himself reported that he had been
overwhelmed by a white light, a light that should have blinded him but did
not. After what seemed like hours, but which I can testify were only a few
seconds, he began to see something in the center of the whiteness. This
was not clear, but he had an impression of a huge blue eye. It became
larger, and, as it grew, he felt an increasing heat. Not all over his
body, but inside his head, seemingly concentrated in a tiny spot. When
the heat suddenly became unbearable, he felt as if he were falling into
a bottomless well.
"Nuoli later reported experiencing subjective phenomena, too. But these
differed in intensity and kind from the commodore's. She could detect
pulsations, variations in air pressure, and then the pulsations became
visible as multicolored square waves. They disappeared simultaneously
with the commodore's collapse."
At the time, Ramstan had reported that he had neither seen or heard or felt
anything describable as unusual subjective phenomena. Only Benagur had
questioned that report. Benagur had accused him of lying after Ramstan had
ordered ship to leave Tolt. Ramstan had continued to deny experiencing
anything unusual. He had also said that Benagur was still obviously unfit
for duty and that he would remain on sick list until he had proved otherwise.
Benagur had stormed out of Ramstan's quarters. But there was nothing he
could do about it. Ramstan had not reported this incident nor had Benagur,
as far as Ramstan knew, said anything about it to anybody.
An hour after returning to ship, Ramstan had left it. He had, of course,
told Tenno, now second-in-command, that he was leaving, but he had not
said why. He had walked unchallenged out of the port, down the long street
that led to the temple, walked past the guards, who obviously were not
aware that he was present, and half an hour later had again boarded ship.
Five minutes later, al-Buraq had taken off.
"I was convinced that the glyfa was dangerous," Ramstan said after
a few seconds of silence. "Despite which, under other circumstances,
our scientists would have been directed to study it. As far as I know,
it's unique. But when I went back to the temple to discuss what had
happened with the high priest, I was told that we were no longer welcome
on Tolt. The priest made no threats. He just said that the glyfa wished
us gone."
Ramstan assumed that the officers were wondering why he had not logged
the conversation. However, none dared voice the question. He proceeded
to tell them what had happened in the hotel. He omitted his conversation
with Commodore Benagur.
"There is no proof that the masked people were Tenolt, but there are no
other suspects. I have no idea at all why the Tenolt have followed us here
or why they should have made an attempt to anesthetize me. Doctor Toyce's
report of the breakdown of the Tolt sailor in the tavern suggests that
something horrible has happened to their planet. Obviously, they don't
want to tell us what it is. I don't know why.
"However, the disappearance of Pegasus is the number-one priority now.
For all I know, that might be tied in with the Tenolt's strange actions.
In any event, we are
but the god itself. And it ruled the planet. Tolt was a true theocracy.
"We stood in a corner and watched a ritual which was not explained to us
and which I won't describe, since it is available in a report. The ceremony
was interrupted when Commodore Benagur suddenly fell to the floor. Though
he seemed to be unconscious, he struggled when I picked him up to take
him to the ship. Two priests helped me carry him out, and he was still
struggling violently while we did so."
The bridge personnel were uneasy, no doubt wondering why he was describing
what was well-known.
"The commodore was examined, but no evidence was found that he had suffered
some kind of epileptic seizure. He himself reported that he had been
overwhelmed by a white light, a light that should have blinded him but did
not. After what seemed like hours, but which I can testify were only a few
seconds, he began to see something in the center of the whiteness. This
was not clear, but he had an impression of a huge blue eye. It became
larger, and, as it grew, he felt an increasing heat. Not all over his
body, but inside his head, seemingly concentrated in a tiny spot. When
the heat suddenly became unbearable, he felt as if he were falling into
a bottomless well.
"Nuoli later reported experiencing subjective phenomena, too. But these
differed in intensity and kind from the commodore's. She could detect
pulsations, variations in air pressure, and then the pulsations became
visible as multicolored square waves. They disappeared simultaneously
with the commodore's collapse."
At the time, Ramstan had reported that he had neither seen or heard or felt
anything describable as unusual subjective phenomena. Only Benagur had
questioned that report. Benagur had accused him of lying after Ramstan had
ordered ship to leave Tolt. Ramstan had continued to deny experiencing
anything unusual. He had also said that Benagur was still obviously unfit
for duty and that he would remain on sick list until he had proved otherwise.
Benagur had stormed out of Ramstan's quarters. But there was nothing he
could do about it. Ramstan had not reported this incident nor had Benagur,
as far as Ramstan knew, said anything about it to anybody.
An hour after returning to ship, Ramstan had left it. He had, of course,
told Tenno, now second-in-command, that he was leaving, but he had not
said why. He had walked unchallenged out of the port, down the long street
that led to the temple, walked past the guards, who obviously were not
aware that he was present, and half an hour later had again boarded ship.
Five minutes later, al-Buraq had taken off.
"I was convinced that the glyfa was dangerous," Ramstan said after
a few seconds of silence. "Despite which, under other circumstances,
our scientists would have been directed to study it. As far as I know,
it's unique. But when I went back to the temple to discuss what had
happened with the high priest, I was told that we were no longer welcome
on Tolt. The priest made no threats. He just said that the glyfa wished
us gone."
Ramstan assumed that the officers were wondering why he had not logged
the conversation. However, none dared voice the question. He proceeded
to tell them what had happened in the hotel. He omitted his conversation
with Commodore Benagur.
"There is no proof that the masked people were Tenolt, but there are no
other suspects. I have no idea at all why the Tenolt have followed us here
or why they should have made an attempt to anesthetize me. Doctor Toyce's
report of the breakdown of the Tolt sailor in the tavern suggests that
something horrible has happened to their planet. Obviously, they don't
want to tell us what it is. I don't know why.
"However, the disappearance of Pegasus is the number-one priority now.
For all I know, that might be tied in with the Tenolt's strange actions.
In any event, we are
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