Quest for the Well of Souls - Jack L. Chalker [102]
The screen went blank. Renard sighed, switched it off. "She ran out of module before he got in," he said.
"Well, now we know." Wooley added. "Did anyone else notice her as she turned around?"
"The tail," Yulin responded almost apologetically. "Yes, Trelig gave everyone a horse's tail."
"But that was twenty-two years ago," Vistaru pointed out. "Who knows what became of them?"
Yulin was thoughtful and concerned. "I think we better find out."
* * *
The natural spy was the Ghiskind. A thorough and careful search of the building complex showed no signs of recent habitation, but it was a large world. Yulin pointed out areas of abundant wildlife and groves of fruit trees on a map from the control room files, and the Yugash made for that area while the others camped out on the portico of the main hall, from where they could see anyone coming and prepare themselves.
New Pompeii's rotation was fairly rapid, and not a little disconcerting. The Well World filled half the sky, but it was eerie, distorted by the atmosphere and plasma skin through which it was viewed, and the stars in the brief night periods were equally nebulous.
It took the Ghiskind less than an hour to return. As agreed, it merged with the Bozog for communications purposes.
"They are there," it told them. "A small colony, mostly young and all looking and acting quite wild and animalistic. Two males, five females, four young. Very strange."
"No sign of Belden, then," Mavra noted. "Interesting. I wonder if he died? An accident, or maybe that woman took him with her somehow. I hope so. We'll leave them there. Did they seem hostile?"
"Frightened of their shadows," the Yugash responded. "But definitely without much more than rudimentary reason, which probably explains why there are so few young. Few would survive."
They nodded. Yulin sighed. "Well, then, I propose we leave them, keep on guard just in case this Belden is still around someplace, and go Underside. That's safest anyway."
They were tired and still sore, but they agreed. Underside was much more defensible, and it was where they had to be anyway.
Mavra walked with them to the large stone structure to one side of what was once a park in front of the main hall. It, too, was overgrown now, but both the former syndicate scientist and Renard knew its operation.
"It's pretty cramped in there," Yulin warned them. "I'd say Mavra and Wooley by themselves, and we'll take the backup car. Bozog, you're going to have a rough fit."
The face of the seemingly solid marble cube vanished after a series of carefully spaced taps on the outside. The grass, moss, and vines didn't vanish, though, and had to be pulled off.
The car before them had eight seats designed for humans. Wooley managed to fit in back by scrunching down and flexing her wings uncomfortably. Mavra managed to sprawl across the front three.
"See you down there—and be careful. Belden would know about this, too," Yulin warned, and punched a new combination.
"Now I understand why Yulin wasn't eager to be on the first car," Wooley noted sarcastically. "Our big brave bull is about as cowardly as I have known."
Mavra said nothing. The drop was too uncomfortable. It was a long way to Underside, and although the rate of descent was controlled, it felt as if they were falling at all times—an uncomfortable sensation, and it was a long, long ride.
Above them the others clambered into the service car, which was not quite as roomy as the first one. The Bozog managed, with great difficulty, although if the Ghiskind had had feet or if Vistaru and Renard had been larger, it would have been stepped on the whole way. Yulin was scrunched up trying not to step on the strange creature.
Finally it ended, and the front