[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
have the speed the starship does so Sara won't be back for awhile."
"Sorry, buddy," Roger said. "I'll be right there." Daniel hung up the phone and waited for Roger.
***
"We've arrived, Daniel." Santoo's telepathed voice rang clear in Daniel's head. "All right," Daniel
telepathed in return.
"We are directly above you. The ship is cloaked. The area is too small to accommodate the ship, so I
believe I will bring the cover plates to you one at a time with the aid of the amulet."
"Roger's coming up, Santoo."
"You've been teaching him the ways of the amulet?"
"Yes" He looked at Roger who was patiently waiting for Daniel to speak to him. "Roger, Santoo's ready
for your help."
Roger looked at Daniel, a slight look of fear in his eyes. He puffed out his cheeks. "I'm glad I've
practiced with this thing." He took the amulet off Daniel's neck and put it on his own.
"Don't panic on me," Daniel said.
"I won't panic." Roger closed his eyes and as they had rehearsed, Daniel visualized Roger's target point.
He telepathed to Roger a clear image of the bridge of Santoo's ship. In an instant Roger had
disappeared.
A few moments later Roger and Santoo were on the ground. Santoo was laying his own load onto the
grass. As Santoo disappeared to go back to the ship to get another load, Daniel explained to Roger how
to assemble the plates. It wouldn't be long and the two storage bays would be finished and hidden from
view.
Santoo appeared for a moment, took Daniel's hand, smiled and said, "Until I see you again."
"Have a good trip," Daniel said. Daniel was crying openly. He couldn't hold back his misery.
"Daniel, we don't want to leave you and ta'Sara. It's tearing my heart out to leave you. You know this. I
didn't even want Chumaya to come down and say good-bye. It would just make it that much more
difficult for us all."
"Santoo, the Zeta will do what they please with me whether you are here or not. I'll be fine." He didn't
have the strength in his arms to wipe his own tears or to embrace Santoo.
Santoo held Daniel for an instant. Then he let him go, touched his amulet and disappeared.
Daniel heard a faint change in the sound of the starship's drive: He knew Santoo was in the captain's
chair and was preparing to head out into space. Santoo uncloaked the ship and it became visible to them
for just an instant. Then it was gone.
Roger carried the plates up to the hotel to store them inside. The plates weren't heavy, just bulky. Steve
and Yankee would help Roger assemble the sliding cover the next evening, if it didn't rain. It was
imperative they cover the shuttle bay with a permanent cover. Daniel and Sara's shuttle was already
obscured by the cover they had been using in the old location, but Santoo's shuttle was wide open to
anyone who might wander onto Roger's land, although few did. This was a much safer location than the
open woods that lay relatively close to roads. In a few days Roger would have Santoo's new repelling
circuit installed around his own property. Santoo assured Roger that it would be impossible for anyone to
wander onto the land when the circuit was operating.
Roger stacked the plates just inside the door. As he was finishing, Daniel was startled at the sound of a
cell phone ringing in Roger's van. A feeling of dread poured through him.
"I gotta get that." Roger turned and ran to the van.
A moment later he was back at Daniel's side.
"We gotta go, Buddy. Right now. That was Steve. He's found something out by the old abandoned
Wagner property."
"Found what?"
"I'll explain on the way. We have to get you loaded up." Roger looked wild and he manipulated the
wheel chair roughly. Daniel winced. If only he could use the pendant to transport both of them. But he
didn't even have the strength to lift his legs. His transporting days were on hold for now. The ride in the
van was bumpy and seemed to take forever. Daniel's delicate energy reserves were ebbing fast. He was
again having trouble breathing. More and more he felt trapped in his old body. The exo-skeleton had not
helped him. Nothing had helped. He was a Polio survivor in the worst sense of the word.
As Roger turned the van into the long farm lane, Daniel heard Steve screaming at them to hurry. The
screaming came from behind the tree line up ahead. Daniel felt eerie as Roger plunged through the trees
and down the hill towards Steve's voice. Santoo used to hide his starship here. Daniel was healed here
only a few months ago. He prayed that Steve wasn't wrong; he prayed that it wasn't Santoo's craft that
was down. He sat in the van, watching and waiting.
"Follow me!" It was Steve's voice. Daniel couldn't see anyone. He was alone and he was totally
helpless.
After what seemed to be an eternity, Steve came running across the open field toward the van.
"You have to see this, Daniel. I'll carry you." He opened the van door and scooped Daniel up into his
arms. Daniel gritted his teeth against the jostling he was getting. He didn't want to be carried like a baby.
But there was no choice. Steve hurried through the trees until they came to a sight that made Daniel sick
to his stomach. A craft-not an airplane, not the starship or the shuttle-but a strange metal craft lay in a
twisted heap on the ground. In the middle of the wreckage a column of smoke went up. At first he
thought it was his own shuttle. Sara! But it wasn't. It didn't look like his shuttle.
"It's burning, Steve!" Daniel yelled. "There might be someone inside! Put me down. You've got to go in
there!"
Steve put Daniel on the grass. "It's too risky, Daniel. We don't even know what it is."
"I know what it is!" Daniel panted. "It's a Zeta shuttle craft! Go! Go!"
Steve ran to the burning wreck and frantically pulled on the door, but it was warped and jammed by the
crash. Roger grabbed its edges and strained to pull it open and the door gave way. They piled through
the doorway and Daniel lost sight of them.
"There must be someone in there," Daniel called desperately from where he lay. He could not see clearly
from his spot on the grass. He tried to crawl forward. His lungs were burning from the exertion. "Follow
me." That was Roger's voice he heard. Then Daniel heard nothing. The fire was out of control. He tried
to change his direction, crawling away from the vehicle rather than toward it. He could not move but a
few feet; then he lay on the grass, exhausted.
He turned to see Roger and Steve carrying something from the craft. It looked like a body. They ran
over to him and lay the thing down next to him. Daniel was aghast-the being was a Zeta, and it lay on its
back, its limbs moving feebly but purposefully.
Daniel stared at the being. It lay with its huge, black lidless eyes staring upward. "Are you all right?"
Daniel asked. "Can you telepath?" With a tenderness towards this being he didn't know he possessed he
touched its head with his half paralyzed hand and with the back of his fingers stroked it in a comforting
way.
"Injured . . . Please help this entity . . ." it telepathed feebly.
And then in a sickening flash of recognition he knew: this being was the female that was Eric's mother!
"Oh, dear God, Daniel said, frantic, "how badly are you injured?"
"Limbs . . . limbs . . . pain . . ."
Daniel looked at the being's limbs. Now he could see the frail, gray left leg of the being sticking
crookedly to one side. It was broken above the knee. But the other leg as well as the arms looked
sound. "I think only your one leg is broken," Daniel offered hopefully.
"Daniel," Roger shouted behind him, "the fire is starting to creep across the grass! We've got to move
you away from here!" [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl akte20.pev.pl
have the speed the starship does so Sara won't be back for awhile."
"Sorry, buddy," Roger said. "I'll be right there." Daniel hung up the phone and waited for Roger.
***
"We've arrived, Daniel." Santoo's telepathed voice rang clear in Daniel's head. "All right," Daniel
telepathed in return.
"We are directly above you. The ship is cloaked. The area is too small to accommodate the ship, so I
believe I will bring the cover plates to you one at a time with the aid of the amulet."
"Roger's coming up, Santoo."
"You've been teaching him the ways of the amulet?"
"Yes" He looked at Roger who was patiently waiting for Daniel to speak to him. "Roger, Santoo's ready
for your help."
Roger looked at Daniel, a slight look of fear in his eyes. He puffed out his cheeks. "I'm glad I've
practiced with this thing." He took the amulet off Daniel's neck and put it on his own.
"Don't panic on me," Daniel said.
"I won't panic." Roger closed his eyes and as they had rehearsed, Daniel visualized Roger's target point.
He telepathed to Roger a clear image of the bridge of Santoo's ship. In an instant Roger had
disappeared.
A few moments later Roger and Santoo were on the ground. Santoo was laying his own load onto the
grass. As Santoo disappeared to go back to the ship to get another load, Daniel explained to Roger how
to assemble the plates. It wouldn't be long and the two storage bays would be finished and hidden from
view.
Santoo appeared for a moment, took Daniel's hand, smiled and said, "Until I see you again."
"Have a good trip," Daniel said. Daniel was crying openly. He couldn't hold back his misery.
"Daniel, we don't want to leave you and ta'Sara. It's tearing my heart out to leave you. You know this. I
didn't even want Chumaya to come down and say good-bye. It would just make it that much more
difficult for us all."
"Santoo, the Zeta will do what they please with me whether you are here or not. I'll be fine." He didn't
have the strength in his arms to wipe his own tears or to embrace Santoo.
Santoo held Daniel for an instant. Then he let him go, touched his amulet and disappeared.
Daniel heard a faint change in the sound of the starship's drive: He knew Santoo was in the captain's
chair and was preparing to head out into space. Santoo uncloaked the ship and it became visible to them
for just an instant. Then it was gone.
Roger carried the plates up to the hotel to store them inside. The plates weren't heavy, just bulky. Steve
and Yankee would help Roger assemble the sliding cover the next evening, if it didn't rain. It was
imperative they cover the shuttle bay with a permanent cover. Daniel and Sara's shuttle was already
obscured by the cover they had been using in the old location, but Santoo's shuttle was wide open to
anyone who might wander onto Roger's land, although few did. This was a much safer location than the
open woods that lay relatively close to roads. In a few days Roger would have Santoo's new repelling
circuit installed around his own property. Santoo assured Roger that it would be impossible for anyone to
wander onto the land when the circuit was operating.
Roger stacked the plates just inside the door. As he was finishing, Daniel was startled at the sound of a
cell phone ringing in Roger's van. A feeling of dread poured through him.
"I gotta get that." Roger turned and ran to the van.
A moment later he was back at Daniel's side.
"We gotta go, Buddy. Right now. That was Steve. He's found something out by the old abandoned
Wagner property."
"Found what?"
"I'll explain on the way. We have to get you loaded up." Roger looked wild and he manipulated the
wheel chair roughly. Daniel winced. If only he could use the pendant to transport both of them. But he
didn't even have the strength to lift his legs. His transporting days were on hold for now. The ride in the
van was bumpy and seemed to take forever. Daniel's delicate energy reserves were ebbing fast. He was
again having trouble breathing. More and more he felt trapped in his old body. The exo-skeleton had not
helped him. Nothing had helped. He was a Polio survivor in the worst sense of the word.
As Roger turned the van into the long farm lane, Daniel heard Steve screaming at them to hurry. The
screaming came from behind the tree line up ahead. Daniel felt eerie as Roger plunged through the trees
and down the hill towards Steve's voice. Santoo used to hide his starship here. Daniel was healed here
only a few months ago. He prayed that Steve wasn't wrong; he prayed that it wasn't Santoo's craft that
was down. He sat in the van, watching and waiting.
"Follow me!" It was Steve's voice. Daniel couldn't see anyone. He was alone and he was totally
helpless.
After what seemed to be an eternity, Steve came running across the open field toward the van.
"You have to see this, Daniel. I'll carry you." He opened the van door and scooped Daniel up into his
arms. Daniel gritted his teeth against the jostling he was getting. He didn't want to be carried like a baby.
But there was no choice. Steve hurried through the trees until they came to a sight that made Daniel sick
to his stomach. A craft-not an airplane, not the starship or the shuttle-but a strange metal craft lay in a
twisted heap on the ground. In the middle of the wreckage a column of smoke went up. At first he
thought it was his own shuttle. Sara! But it wasn't. It didn't look like his shuttle.
"It's burning, Steve!" Daniel yelled. "There might be someone inside! Put me down. You've got to go in
there!"
Steve put Daniel on the grass. "It's too risky, Daniel. We don't even know what it is."
"I know what it is!" Daniel panted. "It's a Zeta shuttle craft! Go! Go!"
Steve ran to the burning wreck and frantically pulled on the door, but it was warped and jammed by the
crash. Roger grabbed its edges and strained to pull it open and the door gave way. They piled through
the doorway and Daniel lost sight of them.
"There must be someone in there," Daniel called desperately from where he lay. He could not see clearly
from his spot on the grass. He tried to crawl forward. His lungs were burning from the exertion. "Follow
me." That was Roger's voice he heard. Then Daniel heard nothing. The fire was out of control. He tried
to change his direction, crawling away from the vehicle rather than toward it. He could not move but a
few feet; then he lay on the grass, exhausted.
He turned to see Roger and Steve carrying something from the craft. It looked like a body. They ran
over to him and lay the thing down next to him. Daniel was aghast-the being was a Zeta, and it lay on its
back, its limbs moving feebly but purposefully.
Daniel stared at the being. It lay with its huge, black lidless eyes staring upward. "Are you all right?"
Daniel asked. "Can you telepath?" With a tenderness towards this being he didn't know he possessed he
touched its head with his half paralyzed hand and with the back of his fingers stroked it in a comforting
way.
"Injured . . . Please help this entity . . ." it telepathed feebly.
And then in a sickening flash of recognition he knew: this being was the female that was Eric's mother!
"Oh, dear God, Daniel said, frantic, "how badly are you injured?"
"Limbs . . . limbs . . . pain . . ."
Daniel looked at the being's limbs. Now he could see the frail, gray left leg of the being sticking
crookedly to one side. It was broken above the knee. But the other leg as well as the arms looked
sound. "I think only your one leg is broken," Daniel offered hopefully.
"Daniel," Roger shouted behind him, "the fire is starting to creep across the grass! We've got to move
you away from here!" [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]