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Authors: William Tenn
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slow. It disappeared, struggling madly, down the funnel-shaped mouth which indented the forward end of the egg-shaped horror.
“
Balantidium coli
,” Flureet explained, “100 microns long, 65 microns wide. Fast and deadly and terribly hungry. I was afraid he’d hit something like this sooner or later. Well, that’s the end of our micro-hunting friend. He’ll never be able to avoid it long enough to get out. And he can’t kill a bug that size.”
“Can’t you do something?” Mary Ann pleaded shakily.
The bald woman brought her eyes down from the ceiling at last. Making what seemed an intense effort, she focused them on the girl. They were lit with bright astonishment.
“What can I do? He’s locked inside that culture for another four minutes. Do you expect me to go in there and
rescue
him?”
“If you can—of course!”
“But that would be interfering with his sovereign rights as an individual! My dear girl, even if his wish to destroy himself is unconscious, it is still a wish originating in an essential part of his personality and must be respected. The whole thing is covered by the Subsidiary Rights Covenant of—”
“How do you
know
he wants to destroy himself?” Mary Ann wept. “I never heard of such a thing! He’s supposed to be a—a friend of yours! Maybe he just accidentally got himself into more trouble than he expected and he can’t get out. I’m positive that’s what happened. Oh—poor Gygyo, while we’re standing here talking, he’s getting
killed!
”
F lureet considered. “You may have a legitimate argument. He
is
a romantic and associating with you has given him all sorts of swaggering adventure-some notions. He’d never have done anything as risky as this before. But tell me: do you think it’s worth taking a chance of interfering with sovereign individual rights, just to save the life of an old and dear friend?”
“I don’t
understand
you,” Mary Ann said helplessly. “Of
course!
Why don’t you let me—just do whatever you have to and send me in there after him.
Please!
”
The other woman rose and shook her head. “No, I think I’d be more effective. I must say this romanticism is catching. And,” she laughed to herself, “just a little intriguing. You people in the twentieth century led such lives!”
She turned some switch and shrank down swiftly. Just as she disappeared, there was a whispering movement, like a flame curving from a candle, and her body seemed to streak toward the microscope.
Gygyo was down on one knee now, trying to present as small a target to the oval monster as possible. The amebae had either all fled or been swallowed. He was swinging the sword back and forth rapidly over his head as the
Balantidium coli
swooped down first on one side, then on the other, but he looked very tired. His lips were clenched together, his eyes squinting with desperation.
And then the huge creature came straight down, feinted with its body, and, as he lunged at it with the sword, swerved slightly and hit him from the rear. Gygyo fell, losing his weapon.
Hairy appendages churning, the monster spun around so that its funnel-shaped mouth was in front and came streaking back for the kill.
An enormous hand, a hand the size of Gygyo’s whole body, swung into view and knocked the beast to one side. Gygyo scrambled to his feet, regained the sword and looked up unbelievingly. He exhaled with relief and then smiled. Flureet had evidently stopped her shrinkage at a size several times larger than a hundred microns. Her body was not visible in the microscope to Mary Ann, but it was obviously far too visible to the
Balantidium coli
, which turned and scudded away.
And for the remaining minutes of the lock, there was not a creature which seemed even vaguely inclined to wander into Gygyo’s neighborhood.
To Mary Ann’s astonishment, Flureet’s first words to Gygyo when they reappeared beside her at their full height were an apology: “I’m truly sorry, but your
“
Balantidium coli
,” Flureet explained, “100 microns long, 65 microns wide. Fast and deadly and terribly hungry. I was afraid he’d hit something like this sooner or later. Well, that’s the end of our micro-hunting friend. He’ll never be able to avoid it long enough to get out. And he can’t kill a bug that size.”
“Can’t you do something?” Mary Ann pleaded shakily.
The bald woman brought her eyes down from the ceiling at last. Making what seemed an intense effort, she focused them on the girl. They were lit with bright astonishment.
“What can I do? He’s locked inside that culture for another four minutes. Do you expect me to go in there and
rescue
him?”
“If you can—of course!”
“But that would be interfering with his sovereign rights as an individual! My dear girl, even if his wish to destroy himself is unconscious, it is still a wish originating in an essential part of his personality and must be respected. The whole thing is covered by the Subsidiary Rights Covenant of—”
“How do you
know
he wants to destroy himself?” Mary Ann wept. “I never heard of such a thing! He’s supposed to be a—a friend of yours! Maybe he just accidentally got himself into more trouble than he expected and he can’t get out. I’m positive that’s what happened. Oh—poor Gygyo, while we’re standing here talking, he’s getting
killed!
”
F lureet considered. “You may have a legitimate argument. He
is
a romantic and associating with you has given him all sorts of swaggering adventure-some notions. He’d never have done anything as risky as this before. But tell me: do you think it’s worth taking a chance of interfering with sovereign individual rights, just to save the life of an old and dear friend?”
“I don’t
understand
you,” Mary Ann said helplessly. “Of
course!
Why don’t you let me—just do whatever you have to and send me in there after him.
Please!
”
The other woman rose and shook her head. “No, I think I’d be more effective. I must say this romanticism is catching. And,” she laughed to herself, “just a little intriguing. You people in the twentieth century led such lives!”
She turned some switch and shrank down swiftly. Just as she disappeared, there was a whispering movement, like a flame curving from a candle, and her body seemed to streak toward the microscope.
Gygyo was down on one knee now, trying to present as small a target to the oval monster as possible. The amebae had either all fled or been swallowed. He was swinging the sword back and forth rapidly over his head as the
Balantidium coli
swooped down first on one side, then on the other, but he looked very tired. His lips were clenched together, his eyes squinting with desperation.
And then the huge creature came straight down, feinted with its body, and, as he lunged at it with the sword, swerved slightly and hit him from the rear. Gygyo fell, losing his weapon.
Hairy appendages churning, the monster spun around so that its funnel-shaped mouth was in front and came streaking back for the kill.
An enormous hand, a hand the size of Gygyo’s whole body, swung into view and knocked the beast to one side. Gygyo scrambled to his feet, regained the sword and looked up unbelievingly. He exhaled with relief and then smiled. Flureet had evidently stopped her shrinkage at a size several times larger than a hundred microns. Her body was not visible in the microscope to Mary Ann, but it was obviously far too visible to the
Balantidium coli
, which turned and scudded away.
And for the remaining minutes of the lock, there was not a creature which seemed even vaguely inclined to wander into Gygyo’s neighborhood.
To Mary Ann’s astonishment, Flureet’s first words to Gygyo when they reappeared beside her at their full height were an apology: “I’m truly sorry, but your
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