Read Online Through the Ice by Piers Anthony, Launius Anthony, Robert Kornwise - Free Book Online Page A
Tags: Fiction, General, Science-Fiction, Fantasy, Juvenile Fiction, Magic, Epic, Science Fiction; Fantasy; & Magic
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woke and sat up—and the sound was gone.
Relieved, he lay back in the darkness, and soon he was back asleep. But the sound returned to pester him.
Again he woke, irritated, and again there was nothing. It was like a mosquito that zeroed in on him only when he wasn't alert. He hated that!
This time he turned on his light, which he could do merely by speaking to the switch, and checked the room. There was nothing, only the bare walls. He realized that he had fallen asleep in his clothes, so he got out of them and went to the lavatory to wash himself. That made him feel better; he did not like sleeping grimy. Then he lay down again, leaving the light on.
He was soon unconscious. As part of his martial arts training he had learned how to relax, deliberately, so as to focus only on the immediate lesson, or to proceed further to sleep. He remained tired, and knew he needed a good night's rest.
The sound returned. Go away! he thought.
Instead, it became louder, like a mosquito homing in on a succulent earlobe. Seth wrenched himself out of sleep and sat up—to silence. The light remained, but not the noise.
Angry, he lay back yet again. This time he did not relax; he feigned sleep, hoping to catch whatever it was unguarded, so that he could identify it and deal with it. But the sound did not return.
Well, at least he had gotten rid of it! He relaxed, and once more slept.
Whereupon the sound returned.
Seth was aggravated but not stupid. Realizing that obvious consciousness banished the sound, he schooled himself to wake slowly, this time tuning in on the distraction. He did not move, he only listened.
The sound grew steadily stronger, until it was like the noise of a mighty engine, steady yet melodious in its fashion. Becoming intrigued, Seth focused further, trying to understand it. He was now fully awake, but lying quite still, his eyes closed. Would opening them banish the sound?
He cracked one eyelid open. The light was bright, but the sound did not fade. He opened the other eye, moving no other part of his body. Now he was staring at the ceiling, and the sound remained. He had fooled it; it had not fled with his awakening.
There was nothing in the room. Indeed, the sound did not seem to come from anywhere outside. It seemed to be in his head. This was no mosquito! What are you? he thought, addressing the sound.
To his surprise, he got an answer, of a sort. Who? It wasn't exactly a sound, but an aspect of it, a questioning.
I am Seth, of course! he thought, becoming quite interested. Who are you?
Seth! It was more like a voice, now, though not exactly, I am Tirsa.
"What?" Seth exclaimed, jerking up his head.
He was alone, and the sound was gone. He had blown it!
Still, he had determined that it was not his sleeping state, but his relaxation that made it happen. Now he knew it was Tirsa, using her mind to contact him. The Emperor had said that she was from a plane governed by mental ability. That had not meant much to him at the time, distracted as he had been by everything else, including her appearance, but he had assumed that it meant she was especially intelligent. Now he realized that it could mean something else entirely: telepathy!
She was using telepathy to contact him? He was delighted by the prospect! He lay back, relaxed, and opened his mind.
The sound came quickly. It was no longer a noise, but seemed more like a carrier beam for a signal of communication. Soon it seemed to fade, as he searched for the meaningful part of it.
Seth — did you answer? the thought came. If you receive me, do not speak or react. Answer with your mind only. Focus your thought and I will tune it in.
He concentrated. I hear you. I am answering. Do you hear me?
I receive you, she responded immediately. Not with the ears; there is no sound. With the mind. Your thought is crude, imperfect; focus it more.
He tried. There was a quality about her thought that was not present in speech; it was more rounded, less defined, yet
Relieved, he lay back in the darkness, and soon he was back asleep. But the sound returned to pester him.
Again he woke, irritated, and again there was nothing. It was like a mosquito that zeroed in on him only when he wasn't alert. He hated that!
This time he turned on his light, which he could do merely by speaking to the switch, and checked the room. There was nothing, only the bare walls. He realized that he had fallen asleep in his clothes, so he got out of them and went to the lavatory to wash himself. That made him feel better; he did not like sleeping grimy. Then he lay down again, leaving the light on.
He was soon unconscious. As part of his martial arts training he had learned how to relax, deliberately, so as to focus only on the immediate lesson, or to proceed further to sleep. He remained tired, and knew he needed a good night's rest.
The sound returned. Go away! he thought.
Instead, it became louder, like a mosquito homing in on a succulent earlobe. Seth wrenched himself out of sleep and sat up—to silence. The light remained, but not the noise.
Angry, he lay back yet again. This time he did not relax; he feigned sleep, hoping to catch whatever it was unguarded, so that he could identify it and deal with it. But the sound did not return.
Well, at least he had gotten rid of it! He relaxed, and once more slept.
Whereupon the sound returned.
Seth was aggravated but not stupid. Realizing that obvious consciousness banished the sound, he schooled himself to wake slowly, this time tuning in on the distraction. He did not move, he only listened.
The sound grew steadily stronger, until it was like the noise of a mighty engine, steady yet melodious in its fashion. Becoming intrigued, Seth focused further, trying to understand it. He was now fully awake, but lying quite still, his eyes closed. Would opening them banish the sound?
He cracked one eyelid open. The light was bright, but the sound did not fade. He opened the other eye, moving no other part of his body. Now he was staring at the ceiling, and the sound remained. He had fooled it; it had not fled with his awakening.
There was nothing in the room. Indeed, the sound did not seem to come from anywhere outside. It seemed to be in his head. This was no mosquito! What are you? he thought, addressing the sound.
To his surprise, he got an answer, of a sort. Who? It wasn't exactly a sound, but an aspect of it, a questioning.
I am Seth, of course! he thought, becoming quite interested. Who are you?
Seth! It was more like a voice, now, though not exactly, I am Tirsa.
"What?" Seth exclaimed, jerking up his head.
He was alone, and the sound was gone. He had blown it!
Still, he had determined that it was not his sleeping state, but his relaxation that made it happen. Now he knew it was Tirsa, using her mind to contact him. The Emperor had said that she was from a plane governed by mental ability. That had not meant much to him at the time, distracted as he had been by everything else, including her appearance, but he had assumed that it meant she was especially intelligent. Now he realized that it could mean something else entirely: telepathy!
She was using telepathy to contact him? He was delighted by the prospect! He lay back, relaxed, and opened his mind.
The sound came quickly. It was no longer a noise, but seemed more like a carrier beam for a signal of communication. Soon it seemed to fade, as he searched for the meaningful part of it.
Seth — did you answer? the thought came. If you receive me, do not speak or react. Answer with your mind only. Focus your thought and I will tune it in.
He concentrated. I hear you. I am answering. Do you hear me?
I receive you, she responded immediately. Not with the ears; there is no sound. With the mind. Your thought is crude, imperfect; focus it more.
He tried. There was a quality about her thought that was not present in speech; it was more rounded, less defined, yet
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