Slave Race: 21/?
by Nan Smith and Linda Garrick
Chapter 26
Lavirra Base
October 11
0000 Corala time
Kurt McDougal, formerly of the Terran Space Corps and now a Major in the Terran Underground, came groggily awake at a knock on his door. He sat up, blinking at the luminescent chronometer on his bedside. 0429, Lavirra time. In the bunk across the room there was a muffled groan and he glanced briefly at the shrouded form of his roommate, Andrei Wolenski.
"What the heck..." Kurt swung his feet to the floor and padded to the door. It slid open, revealing the short, slender form of Alan Westover.
The young man was fully clad in dark slacks and a dark, pullover shirt, his curly, dark hair standing up wildly as though he had forgotten to comb it.
"Alan... what's wrong?"
"Get dressed, Kurt. We need you."
The tone in the psychic's voice banished the last cobwebs of sleep from McDougal's brain. From behind came a muffled grunt from Wolenski. "Whassa matter? Who is it?"
"Alan."
Another grunt. A light came on.
"Go back to sleep, Wol," Alan said.
"What's going on?"
Kurt stepped back to let Alan enter, and opened a dresser drawer.
"Civvies," Alan said.
"Sure." Kurt extracted civilian clothing from the drawer and began pulling it on. "I suppose you have a reason for ruining my night's sleep?"
"Sorry. It's Janice."
"Bad dreams again?" Wolenski asked, running a hand through his tousled brown hair. "I thought she was through with those."
"She was," Alan said. "Until last night. They started again, and she's just had another one. She's really scared this time."
"About what? What did she dream?"
"Something about Halthzor. I heard her scream telepathically and ran to her room. She was crying when I arrived, and Billy Santos got there a few minutes later. We're apparently the only ones who heard her. Poor Billy's got the flu, you know."
"Yeah." Kurt pulled on a shirt and sealed it. "I saw him earlier today... I mean yesterday. He looked ready for the grave."
"I had it last week," Wolenski said. "It's a killer."
"What did Janice say?" Kurt asked.
"Exactly what she said yesterday. Halthzor's doing something that's very dangerous for us, that particularly concerns her."
"You told Kaley yesterday, didn't you?"
"Of course."
"And I'll bet he told her she ought to start seeing her therapist again," Wolenski said.
"Yes, he did."
Kurt slipped on his jacket, ran a comb through his hair and tossed the instrument to Alan. "Kaley can sometimes be an old woman," he said.
"I know a lot of old women with better sense," Wolenski said.
"True enough. My apologies to the ladies. Where are we going?"
"I woke Kaley up and told him we're going to Corala--now." Alan gave a one-sided smile. "He gave permission after a few protests--and after making me promise to take a non-psychic with us as a bodyguard. I chose you, Kurt. Sorry."
"I'm glad you did. Anything I can do to mess up Halthzor's day is fine with me. I take it he's on Corala?"
"Yes." He hesitated, glancing sideways at Kurt. "This is a bit unusual, you know, and I can see Kaley's point. I mean, even good precogs like Jan don't usually get such warnings from halfway across the sector."
"Meaning you're not sure that it isn't her imagination?"
A long hesitation. Then Alan made a sudden, frustrated gesture and shook his head. "How can I know, Kurt? Psychics aren't magicians, and they're not gods. Janice is living proof of that. She was messed up by what happened to her, just like any kid would have been. Eight years as a prisoner of the Jilectans is going to leave a pretty lasting scar on anyone, especially a child. It could be that she's regressed. Such things are common."
"But you don't think that's it."
"I don't think so, but I'm not sure. Halthzor's on Corala. She hasn't seen him for nearly three years. I thought she was cured--or at least well on her way to recovery--and suddenly this." He shook his head. "Are you ready?"
"Yes. Look, Alan, remember Ruthy Channing and that business with the Loangi? Ruthy knew Eric had been captured, and he was farther away than Halthzor is."
"Sure, but that involved her psychic partner. This doesn't involve Billy--at least, not as far as we know." Alan ran the comb through his hair with indifferent results and tossed it back to Kurt. "Thanks. Let's go."
"Bye, Wol." Kurt followed Alan out and shut the door behind them. They went down a corridor and out into the chilly Lavirran night.
"Alan?"
"Yes?"
"Just out of curiosity... I know we're best friends, and all, but there's a lot of guys, Wolly included, who can be a lot meaner than me. And he's an ex 'trol, too--very efficient in a pinch. Why did you choose me?"
Alan shrugged and grinned sideways at him. "You're very efficient too."
"But I don't even compare with an ex-Strike Commander. Or an Armageddon Team."
"Call it a hunch."
"Oh? You got a premonition about me?"
"Sort of. You seemed the logical one to take. We need a bodyguard, a non-psychic with good shielding ability--that lets Kevin out. Besides, his face is too well known."
"And Wolly's is, too, I guess."
"On Corala--a Jil world? You bet it is. Yours isn't. And besides..." He hesitated, and again glanced sideways at Kurt. "I have the utmost confidence in you. You're not as big and strong as the ex-trols, but strength doesn't matter much around Jils."
Kurt tried not to puff out his chest. "Thank you, Colonel."
"Colonel, yourself. It's the truth."
The landing field was almost silent. Lavirra was officially nonexistent as far as the Jils knew. Actually, it was one of three psychic sanctuary worlds under the control of the Terran Underground. The ship reserved for the Armageddon Team of Linley and Westover was waiting for them in its accustomed place, and the engines came to life as they entered the small, utilitarian cabin. Janice Westover, herself, came out of the control room.
Her face frightened Kurt. Gone was her pretty, sparkling smile and bright, interested expression, replaced by a troubled frown. Her eyes were dark smudges against the pallor of her face. Kurt detected traces of tears.
"Hello, Kurt," she said in a subdued voice. "Thank you for coming so quickly."
Kurt had always held a rather soft place in his heart for Alan's little sister. She was so much like her brother in appearance, although as feminine in her way as Alan was masculine, and she, like Kurt, had suffered deeply at the hands of the Jilectans. Yet, here she was, in spite of her ordeal, ready to go back and try to thwart whatever ugly scheme her enemy might be making. Resilient little people, these Westovers, Kurt thought.
"Hi, Jan." He gave her his best smile. "So, you think your favorite Jil is up to no good again?"
She nodded and a smile quivered on her lips.
"I'll go help Mark with the takeoff." Alan went past her and into the control room. Kurt sat down in one of the cabin's chairs and pulled the safety webbing across his lap. Janice sat across from him.
"Alan tells me you've had a couple of scary premonitions. What do you think His Loveliness has come up with this time?"
The smile appeared again. Part of her therapy, Kurt knew, had been to bring the Jilectans down in Janice's estimation, from the level of gods to the level of beings who were not only capable of doing wrong, but who, in her case, had done wrong--very deep wrong. She had been encouraged to laugh at their godlike attitudes and outlandish dress styles, and, of all the therapy she had received, this had proven to be the most successful.
"Did you see his hairdo on that last videocast?" she asked.
"Yeah. He looked cute, don't you think, with those braids, and his bangs all fluffed out like that? Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep..."
Janice giggled softly, then sobered. "I wish I knew what he's up to. Kaley didn't believe me..."
"Kaley isn't a psychic."
"Neither are you." She looked up at him and smiled again.
"What is it that you feel, Jan?"
"Just scared, mostly." Her eyes wavered and became haunted, as though seeing something that Kurt couldn't. "He's planning something. I know it." She shivered, then abruptly buried her face in her hands, drawing a long breath.
Kurt leaned forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You have no idea what it is?"
She shook her head, not looking up. Kurt sighed. He could understand Kaley's skepticism. Still, with what the General also knew about psychics, you'd think he'd give the girl the benefit of the doubt.
"Here we go, folks," Mark Linley's cheerful voice announced from the control room. The whine of engines intesified upon the last word, ad there was the sudden heaviness of acceleration. Then the artificial gravity field came on.
Janice raised her head. "Kurt, what if it's my imagination?"
"What? Now look, Jan, you know it isn't."
"But I don't know, Kurt. I am messed up. I know that. Maybe I'll never... be normal again. Sometimes..." Her voice fell and she leaned forward, speaking confidingly. "Kurt, even before this, I still sometimes had dreams... other dreams, I mean, about those years. They weren't as bad as these last two, but I still have had them. I didn't tell anyone. Alan worries so much about me, anyway, but what if Kaley's right? What if this is just a continuation of those? What if I'm just... imagining the danger?"
"Take it easy," Kurt advised her. "I don't think it's imagination, and neither does Alan."
"But he isn't sure. I could tell from his expression. Oh, Kurt, if I'm wrong, Kaley'll never trust me again!"
"Breakin' atmosphere," Linley's voice said from the control room. "Three minutes t'hyperspace."
"Now look, Jan, there's no point in stewing over it." Kurt spoke matter-of-factly, trying to bring the issue back into perspective. "Whether you're right or wrong, the only thing to do is to go find out. You had to tell Alan, and he had to tell Kaley. You can't ignore psychic premonitions. That's the first thing every psychic in the Underground is taught. The worst that could happen is that we'll find out it was your imagination, and we'll have to go back and confess the goof. It won't be the first time a psychic has messed up, and I'm sure it won't be the last. But if you're right, we may avert a disaster, and I think it's worth the risk to find out. Don't you?"
She smiled. "You make me feel a lot better. I just hope that's how Kaley feels, too."
"Count on it. He can be a stuffed shirt sometimes, but he's real smart. You don't get to be a general at the age of forty-six without being smart."
Janice nodded. "And besides, I'm Alan Westover's sister."
Kurt grinned. "You reading my mind without my okay, kiddo?"
"What? No, of course not!" She looked worried for a moment, then giggled. "No need to. It's logical."
"And nothing wrong with it either. I wouldn't mind having Alan for a brother--although he's a great friend, too. Anyway, whatever ol' Halthzie's cooking up, I think Westover and Linley, troubleshooters extraordinaire, with another Westover and a McDougal on the side, should be able to cope with it, don't you?"
There was a slight jolt. Kurt unhooked his safety webbing and stood up, stretching. Mark Linley came into the cabin, ducking to avoid the overhead. Kurt envied him his height and build, but he had to admit that being two meters tall did sometimes have its disadvantages. Alan, on his heels, had no such difficulties, of course.
"We'll be there in twenty hours," Mark said. He yawned. "Man! I was in the middle o' the damnedest dream when Alan woke me up."
"Sorry, Mark," Janice said, contritely.
"Aw, honey, don't be. You wouldn't o' wanted my dream, either." Linley, like many patrolmen, was a native of Shallock, and spoke with the heavy accent common to the inhabitants of the Jil-populated world. "I was sittin' in this bar in Scaifen, and there was trenchcrawlers the size o' Kurt stickin' their snouts out o' every doorway. I kept heavin' bottles o' cheap wine at 'em to hold 'em back, and every time I did they'd duck back and I'd miss an' break the bottle. I was down to my last bottle, and I looked at it and realized it was a bottle o' twelve-year-old moonwine, worth about two hundred credits. Then here comes this humongous trenchcrawler out of a doorway and heads right at me. I was just reachin' for the bottle o' moonwine, and feelin' sorta sick at my stomach, when Alan woke me up."
"Wow, what a dream!" Alan stared at his partner.
"I've had it before, with variations. I'm sure it's gotta mean somethin', but I ain't lettin' nobody analyze it. I'm not sure I want to know what it's about." He yawned again. "Anybody for coffee?"
"Sure." Kurt stood up, giving Janice's tousled head a friendly pat. "How about you, Jan? Want to try for some more shut-eye?"
"I couldn't. I'll have some hot chocolate."
"Can do." Kurt headed for the galley. "I'm junior officer on this trek, so I guess it's up to me to do the cooking."
"An' I brought along the pepto," Linley said. "So we're safe, folks."
Kurt aimed a punch at him and stepped into the galley. Behind him he heard Janice giggle softly.
**********
Chapter 27
Corala
October 10, 2185
0930
The elderly aircar buzzed quietly across the city toward Franik Intermediate School. Loreen noticed that Ellie, in the rear, had become very quiet. She saw Edwin turn and look back at her. "How's Karl doing?" he asked.
"He's beginning to think that maybe they aren't going to kill him if he does what they say."
It was good if the child could believe that, Loreen supposed, but she knew it couldn't be true. The Jils killed all Terran psychics they discovered, without exception. Psychics produced psychics, and it was the avid desire of the Jils to wipe the menace of Terran psychics from the sector.
Ellie was continuing. "Lord Toonthvar's telling him to read the mind of an Arcturian. If he does it, they might not kill him. He thinks he can do it. Yes... he's done it!" She gulped. "The Jils are real happy. The Arcturian guy's mad, and Karl feels bad about that, but maybe... Now the Jils are ordering the Arcturian out. He's going." She stopped. "Now the Jils are leaving, too. They're ordering the guard--a big patrol guy, to watch Karl closely, and make sure he doesn't get hurt."
Loreen looked at Edwin, feeling hope blossom in spite of her common sense, and what she knew of the Jilectan Autonomy. "Do you think..."
"I don't know." Edwin said, grimly. "Anything's possible. Funny. I thought most telepaths could read Arcturians. I can do it, and so can Cory."
"The Jils can't."
"Oh, I know, but there's a lot of things Jilectans can't do that we can. That's why Jilectan outlaws, like Comishvor, take psychics to help them in their... jobs. They aren't obeying the Autonomy's rules so they don't have to report us and turn us in. We're useful to them."
"But why would they want Karl for a thing like reading Arcturians? What possible use could that be to them?"
"Karl's wondering that, too," Ellie said, distractedly. Ahead Stephen's school came into view. Edwin glanced behind them again. "No one in sight, but it won't be long. Go get Stephen, Lori, and hurry."
Loreen parked the car, got out and went toward the office at a trot. The building was quiet and cool when she entered, and a soft murmur of voices came from the office. Loreen peered for a moment through the glass doors and then entered in a businesslike fashion.
The secretary looked up, smiling. "Hello, Mrs. Warren."
"Hello, Miss Jordan. I need to pick up Stephen. There's a little family emergency and we're going to be leaving town for a few days.
"Oh dear! Nothing serious, I hope?"
"Not really, but I'm in a bit of a hurry. Could you call for him right away, please?"
"Of course." Miss Jordan pressed a button on her desk. "Hello, Pete. I need Stephen Warren to come to the office. His mother's here. Thanks." She smiled at Loreen. "He'll be here in a minute."
"Thank you." Loreen turned away, fear prickling along her nerves. She was sure Edwin was right. It wouldn't be long until the Patrol arrived. The obvious place to come was the school.
Where *was* the boy? What the heck was taking so long? Oh, thank God! Here he came, walking briskly, and swinging his backpack by one hand. At thirteen he was almost as tall as she.
"Hi, Mom. What's the matter?"
"I'll explain on the way. Come on."
"What's the rush?" He ran beside her out to the aircar. "Hey! Look, there's a Patrol aircar landing over there!"
"Get in the car! Quick!" Loreen yanked open the door and pushed her son into the rear seat. The Patrol car was settling into the parking lot across from them. Had they been seen? If they had, they were finished. There was no way they could outrun the Patrol.
Two patrolmen got out of the car and headed toward the school entrance at a trot. A single man remained in the vehicle, but he wasn't looking toward them.
"Let's go!" Edwin whispered. Loreen saw he was already behind the controls, and she slid in beside him. As the door closed, the vehicle moved smoothly forward, and Edwin eased them deliberately out of the parking lot and eastward.
"What's going on?" Stephen demanded. "Mom, what is all this?" He turned to look at Edwin at the controls. "Who are you?"
Loreen peered out the back. The Patrol car was still parked in the lot, and was dwindling with distance. "They didn't see us."
"What about Karl?" Ellie demanded. "We've got to help him!"
"What's the matter with Karl?" Stephen turned on Ellie. "Will someone please tell me what's going on here?"
"Karl's in trouble with the Jils," Ellie told him. "He's a psychic, and they found out, but right now he's been rescued from Lord Toonthvar and Lord Drinxvar by a couple of Drinxvar's kids."
Loreen turned in the seat. "*What*?"
Ellie nodded seriously. "He's been taken away from his guard by two of Drinxvar's daughters, Trinxvill and Chinxvill. They want him to play with them, I think." She smiled suddenly. "They like him."
Loreen stared speechlessly at her daughter. This couldn't be! The child was imagining things.
But Edwin never seemed to doubt her. He spoke seriously. "Where are they taking him, Ellie?"
"He doesn't know yet. They want to kill his guard, but Karl is trying to stop them. He kind of likes the guard, I think.
Edwin muttered something under his breath that Loreen didn't catch. Then: "If they get him away, let me know at once, honey. It might be our only chance of rescuing him."
"What the blazes is all this?" demanded Stephen. "Mom, who is this guy?"
"Watch your language, Stephen," Loreen said, automatically.
"This is Ed White," said Ellie without hesitation. "He's Mommy's first husband."
Lord! So the child must have heard everything! Loreen felt her throat clog, and saw Stephen turn to look at her incredulously. "You're crazy, El," he stated. "Mom's never been married before."
"I'm not crazy. I heard 'em talking. She married Ed first, but there was a fight and she thought he was killed. And Karl was coming, so she married Father so Karl would have a dad. But Ed wasn't really dead. He came back."
Stephen stared at Loreen. "What's she talking about, Mom?"
Loreen glanced at Edwin, knowing her horror must show in her face. Stephen saw it, too. His eyes widened. "You mean, she's got it *right*?"
"I'm afraid so, Stephen."
"This guy's your ex-husband?"
"We... ll..."
"Not her ex-husband, silly, her husband," Ellie said. "She thought he was dead, but he wasn't."
Stephen's face was a mask of bewilderment. "He's Karl's father?"
Edwin set the controls and turned in the seat. "It happened a long time ago, Stephen, and it was something neither your mother or I had any control over..."
Stephen interrupted him. "You *married* my mom?"
"Yes."
"And you were never divorced from her?"
"No. We were separated, and we both thought..."
Again Stephen interrupted him. "Then that means your marriage to Father wasn't legal. You were already married!"
"I'm afraid so, but I thought Edwin was dead. Stephen, please..."
He wasn't listening. His face had gone pale. "That means Ellie and I aren't legitimate. We're bastards!"
"Now wait a minute, Stephen..."
"What's a bastard?" Ellie asked.
Stephen ignored her. He was staring at Edwin with something akin to hatred. "We're dirt! That's what Father says. He always says that anyone born out of wedlock is nothing but dirt. Mom, how could you do this to us?"
"Stephen, will you listen to me? I didn't know! I thought Edwin had died!"
"That doesn't make any difference!"
"It makes all the difference!" Edwin turned in the seat, speaking to the boy man to man. "Your mother and I were seventeen years old. We fell in love and were married. Then an accident happened and we were separated. Both of us thought the other had been killed."
"But Mom never told us..."
"Stephen, listen! Someday you'll understand, but let me say for now that the circumstances were such that your mother thought it best to say nothing. No one knew of the marriage, and your brother, Karl, was already on the way. Your mother saw the chance to give him a father and keep the past a secret."
"She should have told him! Father had a right to know!"
"And if she had, your father would, most likely, have refused to marry her. Then where would you be now, Stephen?"
That stopped him, but only for a moment. "I'm a bastard! I can't believe it. All this time..."
Ellie interrupted him. "The Jil girls have taken Karl up to their room, Mommy. They're pretending he's Alan Westover."
"What's Karl doing?" asked Ed.
"He's going along with it. He's hoping he'll have a chance to get away."
"Smart kid. Can you tell me which direction he is?"
"Lord Drinxvar's house." She pointed. "That way."
Edwin swiveled the car around. "If the kids can just get him out of the house for a few minutes, we might be able to pick him up."
Ellie was frowning. "I keep losing his mind--like he's gone suddenly, then comes back. What do you suppose is causing that, Mr. White?"
"I don't know. Does he know how to shield?"
"What's that?"
"To shut out other people's thoughts from his mind?"
"Oh." She nodded suddenly. "I see now. The little Jil girls taught him, so their father wouldn't find him."
"I didn't know Jil kids did things like steal their parents possessions," Loreen said.
"Neither did I, but I guess it stands to reason. The Jils are like us in a lot of disturbing ways. They wouldn't understand us so well if they weren't."
Ellie squealed suddenly. "Mommy, the Jil's found him!"
Loreen's faint hopes plummeted. "He's been caught again?"
"He's going to be. The little girl's opening the door. Her father's there, and the other Jil, and a whole bunch of patrolmen." She began to sniffle. "They've got him. Poor Karl!"
"Damn!" Edwin muttered. He glanced quickly at Loreen. "I mean darn. I guess it was too much to hope for. Where's he being taken now, hon?"
"He doesn't know." Ellie sniffled and wiped her nose with the back of her hand.
"What's going on?" Stephen demanded, harshly.
Loreen glanced back at him uneasily. "Karl's been taken by the Jilectan's because he's a psychic."
"A psychic? How could he be a psychic? You're not, and Father..." He stopped, hostile gaze turning on Edwin. "You!"
"Yes, Stephen, I'm a psychic. I suppose that's where Karl got his talents from."
"Talents! What a way to put it! So you not only turn Ellie and me into bastards, but you turn my brother into a criminal."
"Stephen! That's enough!"
The boy's eyes were blazing with anger, and Loreen suddenly saw Cecil in him. She spoke sharply to him. "It's not Ed's fault that he's a psychic!"
"He knew he was one, didn't he? Why didn't he take precautions? He spreads his genes around without turning a hair! Psychics are outcasts in the sector, or hadn't you noticed, Mr. White, sir?"
Loreen started to reprimand her son again, but to her surprise, Edwin answered, his tone quiet and betraying only mild curiosity. "Are you saying then, Stephen, that things would be better if Karl had never been born?"
"For all of us!"
"Then you wish your brother didn't exist?"
Stephen hesitated. Edwin didn't wait for an answer. "The Jils would be very happy now if everyone would just forget about your brother. Is that what you want? Shall we forget him and run?"
"No!" Ellie squealed. She turned on Stephen. "You're a big fat *louse*, Steph!"
"Shut up." He turned back to Edwin. "Of course not! I love my brother, and I want him rescued, psychic or not. But things would have been better if you'd just been careful in the first place."
Ellie stuck her tongue out at her brother. "And what about me? I suppose it'd have been better if I'd never got born, either!"
"Don't be stupid. You're not a psychic."
"Yes I am!"
"That's a crock! Your parents were both non's."
"But I'm still a psychic! Mr. White says so!"
"She's telling the truth, Stephen," Ed told him. "Don't ask me how it happened, but she *is* a psychic. She's been communicating with Karl all morning--ever since she got caught."
"Maybe she thinks so, but she's just a kid of seven with a great imagination. I've seen her do this before."
Ellie hit him. He grabbed her hand and shoved her back hard against the seat.
"This isn't getting us anywhere." Edwin allowed the car to lose altitude and settled them into a parking lot. "Ellie, concentrate. Where's Karl now?"
"They're putting him in an aircar, taking him somewhere."
"Who's with him?"
"Lord Toonthvar and some 'trols."
"Damn! I mean darn." A quick glance at Loreen.
Stephen laughed. "I'll tell you where he is. He's probably at home."
Ellie made a face at him. "He is *not*!"
"Which direction is he, Ellie?"
"That way, and getting farther away."
"Okay. We'll head that way, I guess. There's nothing to do but follow him and grab any chance that... Hey!"
Stephen had pushed open the door of the car and leaped out. Loreen saw him sprint down an alley away from them, heading east. Sudden realization hit her. "No! Edwin, he's heading toward home!"
Edwin was out of the car instantly, and Loreen scrambled out after him.
"How far is it?" he asked.
"About three blocks. Stephen! Get back here!"
The boy ignored her, and vanished around a corner at the end of the alley, long legs flying. Ellie climbed out behind them, her small face pale and angry.
"You ought to spank him for that, mommy," she said.
"Let's go!" Edwin jumped back in the car. "We'll catch him. In the car, quick!"
Ellie and Loreen scrambled back inside and the car lifted off. Loreen peered anxiously around, searching for Stephen. Edwin sent the car forward across the buildings. "How the devil did he go so fast?"
"He goes out for track at school," Loreen told him hoarsely. "He's the best on the team--it's those long legs of his."
"I see him!" Ellie squealed, pointing.
Loreen didn't, but apparently Edwin did, for the car leaped forward with a roar of engines. Then the boy's form was in view, dashing down the sidewalk in front of the apartment building where they lived. Even as the car reached the street, Stephen pulled open the front door of the apartment building and vanished inside.
Loreen started to open the car door, but Edwin pulled her back. He was concentrating, his expression intent. Loreen relaxed, scanning the street. There was no sign of Patrol cars now, but Cecil's new, modern luxury vehicle was parked conspicuously in its allotted space.
"Cecil's here!" she gasped.
Edwin's eyes focussed. "I don't sense any patrolmen or Jilectans. We'd better go after him. Come on."
"No!" Loreen grabbed him. "I'll go."
"Not alone."
"I'll be fine. You stay here with Ellie. If you walk in there with me, the sparks will fly. You have no idea how much you look like Karl, Ed. Cecil can't possibly miss it."
Edwin hesitated, then nodded. "Keep away from him. He's probably pretty upset."
"He'll probably be drunk," Ellie piped up. "He was there when the Jil caught Karl. He's probably awful mad. Be careful, Mommy."
"I don't like this, Lori."
"I'll be okay. Stephen's there. He won't let Cecil hurt me." She opened the door and got out.
Loreen mounted the familiar stairs and reached the door. It stood open, and she went quietly in. From the kitchen came the sounds of raised voices.
"Where is she?" It was Cecil, and Ellie had been right. He was very drunk.
"Father, I don't know!" Stephen's voice sounded quite frightened, all the bravado and anger gone. "I left them a few minutes ago."
"Ellie was with her?"
"Yes. Father, where's Karl?"
"Your damned brother is a degenerate Terran psychic, boy!" The sentence was succeeded by a sound that was sort of a cross between a sob and a hiccough. "The Jilectans took him, and I hope they publicly execute him!"
"Father! God, so it was true!"
Loreen went into the kitchen, pausing at the door. Cecil stood before the table, gripping Stephen by both arms. The boy's face was white, but Cecil's was flushed with drink and he was perspiring. An empty bottle stood on the table before him.
"What's true?"
"What... what Ellie told me. She said Karl had been taken."
"Yeah, I thought so. Looks like your lovely momma was fooling around on me all the time. Ellie's a psychic, too, just like I thought. Two psychic kids!"
Holding Stephen brutally by one arm, Cecil strode across the room and picked up the videophone, tapping in a code one-handed.
"Cecil!" Loreen cried.
He turned toward her. Hatred blazed from his red-rimmed eyes. "There you are, bitch! Good to see you. Yes!" The last word was into the phone. "Lieutenant Rivers, please."
"Cecil!" Loreen started across the room. "Let Stephen go! He has nothing to do with this!"
"The only one that's mine, huh?" Cecil glanced at Stephen, then shook him hard, bringing a cry from him. "Or are you mine? How many little bastards did you give me, my lovely, virtuous wife? Hello!" into the videophone. "Yes, Lieutenant, my wife and two children have returned. Yes, I understand. I'll keep them here until you arrive. Thank you, sir." He hung up and turned to Loreen again. "All right, bitch, sit down and make yourself comfortable. They'll be here in a few minutes."
"Let him go, Cecil." Loreen picked up a rolling pin from the sideboard.
He laughed at her. "Come and take him, bitch."
Stephen began to twist frantically in his father's grasp, then cried out as Cecil's grip tightened even more. "How could you do this, Father?" The protesting words were jerky with sobs. "You've turned in your own family to the Jils! Ellie and I are your kids!"
"Are you? She had one lover, why shouldn't she have more?" He grinned crookedly at Loreen. "Come here, wife! Come on! One step closer and I break his arm."
Stephen yelped again and involuntarily Loreen started forward. Cecil laughed harshly, flung the boy hard against one wall and caught Loreen by both wrists. She twisted frantically, and received a blow across the face that made sparks jump out of the air before her. Stephen was on hands and knees, making crowing sounds as he tried to regain the breath that had been knocked out of him. Cecil hit her again, snapping her head to one side. Spots danced before her eyes, and she felt the tiled kitchen floor beneath her. Stephen was coming toward her, gasping for Cecil to leave her alone. Loreen looked up, blinking away cobwebs, and saw him grasp the boy a second time, yanking his arms behind him. Stephen twisted and kicked, jarring the table. The whiskey bottle bounced to the floor beside her.
Edwin White appeared in the doorway, a large blaster clutched before him in both hands. He aimed the weapon at Cecil's head. "Okay, Warren, let the boy go."
Cecil stared at him blearily, then laughed. "Yeah, I should've known you'd come back. It's got to be you. You're the spitting image of your bastard. Is Ellie yours, too?"
"Let him go."
Cecil jerked the boy against him. Stephen gave a gasping cry, then bit his lower lip, muffling the sound.
"And maybe this one, too?" Cecil jerked the boy's arm hard. "Shoot me, you psychic punk. Go on! Shoot me, and kill your kid, too."
"He's called the Patrol, Ed!" Loreen gasped out. "They're on their way!"
"Shut up, bitch." Cecil hardly glanced at her, his eyes fixed on Ed with malevolent hatred. "Throw down the blaster, punk, or I'll break your kid's arm."
Loreen seized the whisky bottle and swung it at Cecil's legs. It caught him across the shins, and he staggered backwards, dragging Stephen with him. Stephen cried out and kicked backwards, arching his body outward.
Then Cecil screamed, a cry so filled with terror that Loreen felt her neck prickle. She rolled away as Cecil flung Stephen to one side and leaped backwards, bringing his arms up to protect his face, eyes dilated and staring at something which Loreen couldn't see.
She flung the bottle at him, almost blindly. To her surprise, it arched upward and struck Cecil dead center, shattering to splinters against the side of his head. With a low groan, Cecil folded to the floor. A trickle of blood oozed from beneath his head.
Stephen was getting to his feet, still wheezing slightly, and bent to help Loreen. "Are you okay, Mom?" he gasped.
She managed to nod. Then Edwin's hand was under her other arm. "Come on!"
Together they went out the door and down the steps. A few spectators glanced curiously at them as they reached the aircar. Ed pushed her in, and yanked open the rear door for Stephen. "Hurry!" he commanded.
Stephen clambered clumsily in the rear. Ed jumped behind the controls, and an instant later the car was lifting off.
"Patrol's here!" Ellie squealed.
Loreen managed to turn her head and look back. Sure enough, a Patrol car was settling to the street before the apartment. Black clad figures got out and headed across the sidewalk toward the entrance.
She turned around again and leaned back in the seat, closing her eyes. Ellie's voice reached her. "Mommy, you're hurt! Father hurt you!"
"He's acted like that before, then?" Edwin's voice was tightly restrained. It sounded to Loreen as though he was speaking through clenched teeth.
"Yeah." Stephen's reply was subdued. "But he's never... tried to break my arm before."
"He was angry," Loreen said. "And drunk. Are you okay, Steph?"
"I'll live."
Loreen turned her head to look at Edwin. "Do you think I killed him?"
"No," he replied, then said something else under his breath that she didn't catch.
A muffled sob came from the rear seat--Stephen, she realized, and carefully refrained from looking back. She heard Ellie say something softly, and an answering grunt from the boy. Then silence. Edwin didn't look back either. His hands gripped the controls, his knuckles white. His mouth, she saw, was a grim line.
"Karl's been taken to Halthzor's mansion," Ellie said, suddenly.
"Halthzor!" Loreen turned in the seat. "You mean, the Viceroy?"
"Of course." Ellie nodded soberly.
"Halthzor!" Loreen twisted around to stare at her daughter in horror. "Why did they take him there?"
"He doesn't know. But Halthzor's making him read another Arcturian."
Stephen cleared his throat. "El... are you sure?"
"Yup."
"He's telling you this?"
"No." She shook her head. "I just hear what he's hearing, and I feel what he's feeling. I know what he knows, so I know what's happening."
"A link between them," Edwin said. "Like with Cory and me. I should have guessed we weren't the only ones."
"But... how? Ellie can't be a psychic!"
"She is, though," Edwin said, slowly. "I don't know how it's happened, but it's true."
"It can't be." Stephen cleared his throat. "Mom..."
"There was no one but Cecil, Stephen," Loreen said. "You know I'm not the type to...do anything like that."
"I know, Mom, but...well, we just went through this in the section on genetics in my physiology class. They talked about psychic abilities in Terrans specifically. The psychic gene is dominant--that is..." he glanced quickly at Ellie. "You can't just carry it. If you have it, you're a psychic. If you don't have it, you're a non-psychic. There's never been a documented case of two nons producing a psychic child."
"Now there is," Edwin said, quietly.
Stephen looked at the man, and some of the animosity had gone, although his expression was still unfriendly. "You...say you just came back, Mr. White--today?"
"That's right." He turned to Loreen. "What do we do now?"
"We've got to rescue Karl!"
"I know, but..." His eyes flicked toward the rear, and she knew what he was thinking. Karl was in Halthzor's mansion. The security around such a place must be pretty tight. How were they to get in undetected? And what about Ellie and Stephen?
Stephen seemed to read her thoughts. "Listen, I'm a pretty big kid, Mr. White. Maybe I could help."
Edwin looked back at the boy appraisingly. "Maybe. But there's still Ellie, and your mother."
"I want to go," Ellie announced.
"Don't be stupid, El," her brother said. "We can't go breaking into the Viceregal palace after him--at least, you can't. Little Terran girls don't go visiting Jilectan nobles."
"Neither do little Terran boys!"
"I'm not little. Now shut up."
"Well, you're not big, either! You're only thirteen, and you..."
Edwin broke in. "Hold on, you two!"
To Loreen's astonishment, they stopped. Edwin set the craft on autopilot and turned in his seat. "Neither one of you would have a chance of getting to Karl, and neither would your mom. But I might."
"You?" Ellie stared at him. "You're a psychic, too, and you aren't even as big as my stupid brother!"
"Shut up, Ellie," Stephen said. He was watching Edwin, and Loreen couldn't read his expression.
Edwin smiled faintly, then sobered. "I'm a psychic, as Ellie points out, but I also have shielding. And I have a talent that might help us get Karl free."
"What kind of talent?" Stephen asked. He sounded skeptical.
"I'm an illusionist," Edwin said. "I can make people see things that aren't there, and not see things that are there." There was a moment's silence and then Stephen jumped convulsively.
"Holy space!"
"What?" Ellie demanded.
"It's a harkat, right beside you!" Stephen hunched away from the illusion.
"Now Ellie will see it." Edwin turned his attention to the little girl. Ellie squealed.
Ed grinned. "You see?"
"Man, that was...wild!" Stephen regarded Edwin with awe. "It looked like it was sitting right there!"
Ellie's eyes were shining. "You're a wonderful psychic, Mr. White! I wish I could do that!"
"Thank you." Edwin turned to Loreen. "Now look, I'm going to take you and the kids to my ship and then come back and try to spring Karl. Okay?"
"Okay," the children chorused. Loreen opened her mouth to protest, then closed it again. There was no way she could help him, and if he was caught, she, at least, would be with Ellie and Stephen. But her insides felt like lead and tears stung her eyes at the thought of losing Edwin a second time.
"Halthzor says Karl isn't going to be killed," Ellie said, unexpectedly.
They all turned to look at her. The little girl's expression was remote once more. "Halthzor's there. He says the Autonomy needs him because they need a Terran to read the Arcturians and weed the Underground spies from their ranks."
Edwin was nodding. "That makes sense. Trust the Underground to think of putting Arcturian plants in the Jils' forces. Sensible and practical."
"But now Karl'll be there to read the spies and tell Halthzor about them." Stephen sounded a bit worried at the idea. "You know, Mom, if Ellie's got this right, the Underground isn't going to like it much if they find out. Karl might just end up in the middle, with both sides mad at him."
There was a brief silence. Ellie stirred uneasily. "I've got it right, Stephen," she said suddenly, with a touch of irritation. "And Karl's thinking the same thing. They're making him read another Arcturian now--a guy from a chain gang. Karl doesn't like this, but they're making him do it."
Edwin glanced at Loreen. "Well, as long as he obeys them, he's in no immediate danger, so we have a little time. I'll take you and the kids to my ship, then I'll head back here and try to rescue Karl." He hesitated then spoke reassuringly. "Honey, if they do catch me, they'll probably keep me alive for the same thing. I can read Arcturians, too."
"Don't let 'em catch you, Ed." Loreen kept her voice deliberately low, afraid he would detect the fear in it. He nodded reassuringly, and placed one hand on hers where it lay on the seat beside him.
**********
Below, the city of Franik was gradually giving way to open countryside.
Edwin kept his eyes straight ahead, concentrating only on guiding the aircar toward the hunting preserve as rapidly as possible. Loreen was silent beside him, and her hand still clutched his. Her fingers were cold and roughened with hard work. He stole a quick glance at her. She hadn't aged, he thought. Her face was as smooth and flawless as it had been when she had been seventeen and he'd fallen in love with her. He could smell her perfume. Love ached within him. She was his again, and he felt able to fight sabreclaws for her. Nothing would separate them now--nothing and no one. Damn that Cecil guy! She had lived with him, borne him two children, and he had beat her and treated her like dirt. What a fool the man had been! He, Edwin, would have taken her under any circumstances, and Cecil had carelessly thrown her away. He swallowed hard and squeezed her hand gently. She smiled, glancing sideways under her lashes at him. There was a swollen bruise beneath one eye where Cecil had hit her.
"How's your eye?" he asked, trying to sound casual.
"Not too bad. I'll be okay." She smiled. "Don't worry. I think Cecil came out second best, don't you? By the way, what was it that you made him see?"
"Huh? Oh, a jackboar--great big one, with its teeth bared. It was pretty easy. Comishvor had a picture of one in his study."
"Comishvor?" Stephen leaned forward. "You mean Comishvor, the pirate?"
"Uh huh."
"Mr. White's been with Lord Comishvor for sixteen years," Ellie told her brother.
"Huh? You don't know what you're talking about, El. Comishvor's a Jil pirate."
In the rearview mirror, Ed saw Ellie glance scornfully at her elder brother.
"Aren't you getting tired of looking silly, Steph?" she inquired in an amazingly adult tone. "I do know what I'm talking about. Mr. White was taken by Lord Comishvor after him and Mom got in that fight with the other gang. He's been with him for sixteen years. Right, Mr. White?"
"Right, Ellie." Edwin glanced apologetically at Stephen. "I'm sorry, Steph, but it's true. Your mom and I had just gotten married and we were attacked by this street gang. One of them knifed me. I woke up in Lord Comishvor's ship. His pirates had grabbed me, and my friend, Cory, and taken us aboard. The Jilectan pirates use Terran psychics a lot, for their raids, and... oh, other things."
"So you were a pirate?" Stephen's eyes were glowing.
"Not exactly. I was a slave, but I guess I was a pirate, too. I didn't really have much choice. Comishvor called the shots."
"How did you get away?" Loreen asked.
Edwin grimaced in memory. "Lady Gootishville, Comishvor's Lady, got mad at Cory. She had it out for him."
"What did Cory do?" asked Loreen.
"He... brought another Lady for Comishvor. Lord Comishvor had been in love with this other Lady for a long time. Her name was Frishville, and she was Gootishville's brother's wife, but he...Lady Gootishville's brother, I mean, didn't give two hoots about her. Cory got the chance, and took her along with him--with her full consent, I might add."
"Wow!" whispered Stephen. "Cory must have guts."
"Yeah, he does. Only he didn't count on Lady Gootishville's reaction. She came after Cory and tried to kill him. Comishvor stopped her, and promised Cory and me that he'd protect us from her."
"But he didn't?" Loreen said, her eyes fixed on him.
"No, he didn't. As time went by, his gratitude sort of waned. Oh, he still loved his Lady, but Gootishville's a real...nasty lady, and I guess it just got easier for him to ignore it. He didn't believe us when we told him she was still trying to get us--and Cory, especially. Then, about eight months ago on a mission to Shallock, she managed to grab Cory. She was about to kill him when one of her servants chickened out and rescued him. He knew it was only luck, though, and the next time she'd probably get him, so he pulled a fast one on the servant and got away. He came here." Ed stopped, glancing back at Ellie. "How's Karl doing?"
"Okay. They've left him alone for awhile."
"Go on, Ed," Loreen prompted.
He glanced at her. "The rest of the story's pretty ugly, Lor. Comishvor was pretty mad when he realized I'd known what Cory was doing and hadn't said anything. He immediately tried to force me to tell him where Cory would go. I wouldn't, of course, and he started to try to beat it out of me. I fell and hit my head on a rock. It was probably the best thing that could have happened, because I went into a coma and stayed in it for seven months. And when I came to, I was pretty weak, and the doc said I couldn't take much. Since I was the only good psychic Comishvor had left, he didn't dare hit me anymore." Ed sighed. "But eventually I had to tell him."
"Why?" Stephen's voice was indignant and scornful. "I'd never have told him, no matter what he did to me!"
Edwin glanced back at the boy. "You're very young, Stephen, and you don't have any idea how persuasive Jils can be."
"I'd never have told him!"
"Stephen, be still!" Loreen said, sharply.
Should he tell him? Edwin wondered. Yes, it was probably better that the boy should understand fully. "Cory's wife was there, Steph. She was going to have his baby. When the little girl was born, Comishvor threatened to... well, to hurt her very badly."
"A baby?" The boy stared at him, horrified. "He wouldn't have done that!"
"He was holding her by one foot and threatening to cut her toes off. Her mother was screaming and being held back by two pirates." Edwin met the boy's horrified eyes squarely. "That's when I gave in."
There was a stunned silence. Then Loreen drew a long, shaking breath. "Was the baby all right, Ed? I mean, after you told him, he didn't hurt her, did he?"
"No. He gave her back to her mother, thanked me derisively for my cooperation, and left for Corala."
Stephen said a four-letter word under his breath. Ed pretended not to hear.
"So, then I had to get away. I waited until Comishvor was gone, taking Miriam and the baby with him, no doubt as a lever to get Cory to cooperate. Then I got up--I was stronger by then than they realized--and used illusions to disable the doctor and my guards. I made it to a lifeboat and got away. They knew where I was going, of course, and..."
He was interrupted. Ellie leaned forward, clutching her stomach. "Mommy, I don't feel good!"
Loreen turned. "What's the matter, honey?"
"I feel sick! I'm sick at my stomach!"
"Air sickness?" Ed also glanced back, shocked at the little girl's suddenly pale face. "Can you hold out? We'll be there in a few minutes."
"She doesn't get motion sickness," Loreen said, worriedly. "She was feeling sick this morning, too, just before the boys left for school."
Edwin stared at her in sudden surmise. "Are you feeling scared, Ellie, like something's going to happen?"
She nodded, clapping a hand over her mouth. "Mommy, I think I'm going to throw up!"
Stephen moved away from her. "Lean out the window, El!"
Edwin allowed his shields to part slightly, and the Jilectan's consciousness smote him like a physical blow. Automatically he snapped them back into place. "Damn! I mean darn!"
"What?" Loreen clutched his arm. "What's wrong?"
"Comishvor's almost on top of us." He looked back. So did everyone else. Yes, there was the Jilectan's car, coming up fast.
He turned their vehicle hard to the north and poured on the acceleration. The little craft gained speed, and before them, the outskirts of the hunting preserve came into view. There was a higher section of the Gatrinthzor range beyond them--the Guthvor Peaks, he knew, named for the Jilectan explorer who had first climbed them.
"Now what?" Loreen sounded incredibly calm, considering the circumstances.
"We try to outrun him."
"And if we can't?" Stephen didn't sound quite so calm. "What'll we do if he catches us?"
"He won't. I won't let him."
"But what if he does? This aircar's eleven years old..."
"Stephen!" Loreen said, sharply. "Don't bother Edwin now!"
The boy said something under his breath. Ed scarcely noticed. Stephen had been quite right. The car he was driving was an older model, not in the best of shape, and certainly not intended for speed. He could tell, even on the outdated scanner before him that Comishvor was gaining. He was going to catch them, no doubt of it, unless he did something fast.
He was very close to where he had left the ship now, but trying to board it was out of the question. Comishvor would have them before they could get the hatch closed. The mountains loomed closer, and in the clear, still autumn air he could see their white caped peaks. Snow all year round up there, and the air was thin due to the high altitude. Guthvor, who had first climbed them, had needed all the modern mountain climbing equipment he could get, including oxygen cartridges and...
A sudden thought struck him, and he veered the car slightly, now heading straight for the highest peak he could see--Gorithvor's point, known by Terrans as Ingrahm's Pinnacle because the explorer, Dr. Ingrahm and one of his men had succeeded in reaching its summit twenty years ago. Guthvor had climbed the mountain range, but had failed to mount Ingrahm's Pinnacle. That was too much for any Jil, for Jils did not tolerate the thinner air of that altitude.
"What are you doing, Edwin?" Loreen asked. "You can't fly over Guthvor's Peaks in this car. It isn't designed for that, and besides, the air's too thin."
"I'm not trying to fly over it, Lori. I'm just trying to get us high enough that Comishvor can't follow us."
"What?"
"Terrans can stand thinner air than Jilectans can--part of our heritage. Their home planet's gravity is 1.54 of Earth's, and it has a thicker atmosphere. That's why they're so much faster and stronger than Terrans. If we can get high enough, he won't be able to follow us."
"But won't he just get out and send his servants after us? I presume he does have servants with him--that he hasn't come alone?"
"No, he hasn't, and it's also possible that he has a breathing cartridge with him. It's a chance. But if he does have to get out, and sends his men after us--well, I'm pretty sure I can handle them."
"Are you?" Stephen's voice was scornful. "In this rust bucket?"
Edwin found himself grinning faintly in spite of the circumstances. "I think so."
"How? What are you? Sixty-five kilos?"
"Sixty-three. I wasn't considering size, Stephen. I can make those guys back there see exactly what I want them to see. And I'm a telekinetic. I might even be able to put their car out of commission before they know what's happened."
Stephen sounded skeptical. "Don't you have to get pretty close to do all that?"
"The telekinesis, yes, but not the illusion. All I have to be able to do for that is sense their minds. And I can do that right now."
"Then what are you waiting for? Illusion 'em."
"I can only do one at a time. And I'd rather have Comishvor far behind when I do it."
"Yeah, I guess that makes sense." The boy said, with obvious reluctance. He had still not fully accepted the situation, Ed thought, and he had still not fully forgiven the cause of all this.
"How are you feeling now, Ellie?"
"Better." Her voice was subdued. "Oh, Mr. White, is he going to catch us?"
"Not if I can help it, sweetie."
"But what if he does? What'll he do to us? Will he put us in the execution chair?"
"No. He'll just take us back with him to his ship."
"All of us?" Loreen's question was barely audible.
Edwin had to swallow before replying. "I hope so."
"I'm useless to him," Stephen said, "and so is Mom, and Ellie's just a silly kid."
Edwin didn't glance back at the boy. "I don't know."
But he did know, all too well. If Comishvor caught them again, Edwin and Ellie would be brought along, and possibly Loreen, too, to ensure the cooperation of the two psychics. But Stephen, rebellious child that he was, would be left behind.
Loreen said nothing more and he could hear Ellie crying softly in the rear seat. Ellie, of course, was a psychic. She might well have sensed his own fear, even through his shields. But not Loreen, he told himself. She couldn't have figured out what he was thinking. She was just frightened for her children.
The mountains were looming ahead of them, and below them the hunting preserve had given way to steeper, rolling hills, thick with evergreens. Ed glanced at the scanner. Comishvor was less than a kilometer behind now, and gaining steadily.
Ellie's sobs ceased, and, glancing back he saw that she was now huddled close to her brother, and that he had his arm tightly around her. Nobody spoke. The altimeter on the dashboard was creeping slowly upward. 2100 meters now. Edwin's eyes flicked to the scanner again. Comishvor was still following, and his speed had increased. The Jilectan must have figured out what Ed was trying to do. Drat him, anyway! They didn't need him right now. They had important work to do. These kids were depending on him. He needed to get them to safety, and he must locate Cory!
3000 meters. They were climbing rapidly now, and the air was noticeably thinner. Ed found that he was having to work harder to breathe and wondered if it was the strain, or the higher altitude, of both. How well would he adjust to thinner air, he wondered. He had lived the last sixteen years of his life in the comfortably thick, oxygen rich atmosphere of a Jilectan pirate ship.
3200 meters. It was definitely harder to breathe, and he could feel his heart rate increasing. 3500 meters. Comishvor's car was right behind them, practically hugging their fender. Any minute now...
Ellie squealed, and automatically Ed twisted the controls just as their pursuer fired. The shot skimmed past, brushing the underbelly of their vehicle. It hurled them forward, and three lights began to flash on the control panel. The engine faltered, caught, sputtered, then caught again. The purr of the engines now held, Edwin realized with dismay, a slightly ragged quality.
"What'll we do?" Loreen's voice still sounded amazingly calm.
Edwin didn't answer. He was concentrating, locating the mind of the pilot in the pursuing vehicle. Wide open and vulnerable. He formed the image in his own mind and hurled it back at the driver's--another aircar veering straight at them.
His desperation must have made him stronger, for the illusion worked even better than he had hoped. Vividly he sensed the driver's jolt of panic and felt him yank the car hard to one side. Everyone in the pursuing vehicle must have been thrown, possibly, Ed thought, confusing Comishvor sufficiently to delay him from understanding what had happened for a few vital moments.
He continued the illusion, changing the image's course so that it veered again, accelerating toward his pursuer, forcing it down toward the trees below. The stabilizing fin of the other vehicle caught on the branches of a fir and spun the car wildly sideways. Amazed at his own strength, Edwin continued the illusion, forcing the driver not to see or feel the snag, but only the vision of the aircar still plunging at him at a high rate of speed, to feel the impact, and the rending crash, to fight the controls in a frantic attempt to ward off complete disaster, and to fail...
The car spun crazily out of control, slewed sideways, tilted sharply, and plunged nose downward through the trees.
Edwin released the illusion, instantly conscious again of his own surroundings, of Ellie's squeals of excitement in the rear seat, and of Stephen's incredulous voice. "Their car crashed! It crashed--right into the trees! What crazy luck!" Then Ellie's voice, high and shrill with triumph.
"That was Mr. White, Steph! He made him see another car coming at him!"
Stephen stared at her a moment, then laughed, too.
Their own engine coughed. Edwin gunned the motor and brought the car around, making for the lower slopes, above the snow line. Not now! Please, just let me keep us in the air a few more minutes!
"How bad is it?" Loreen leaned across, checking the control panel.
"I don't know. I've never driven a car like this one."
She examined the readings. The engine coughed again.
"The antigrav control and the regulator," Loreen said.
"Yes, and something's wrong in the engine itself. We seem to be losing power fast."
**********
tbc
