CHAPTER IX
Herb knew, even before the spider ships touched ground, that he was going to murder Bud.
The ships were motionless. Slowly suspense mounted. At last one ship opened its port. The landing ladder spun away.
Down came the Oligarch, alone, dressed simply in a solid color double breasted suit. A businessman's suit. There was something reassuring and normal about him. There was initial silence, and then the cheer rose and thundered.
He went directly to the platform. President Wilkerson advanced to meet him. Their hands joined, and a pleasantry passed unheard beneath the cheering. The Oligarch surveyed the welcoming party of Congressmen, foreign diplomats, and government officials. He saw Bud. He crossed to him.
The cheer became deafening.
They exchanged a few whispered words. Lip readers might have caught the question and the assent. Then, smiling, they turned to the public. Nodding, waving, Bud (visibly upset about something) tried to give the impression of recognizing each face individually. The Oligarch bowed his head modestly.
Herb watched from the port of the spider ship. He clenched his fists angrily. If only he had a weapon of some sort.
The President spoke briefly.
Then, as the Oligarch moved toward the speaker's platform, Herb dropped swiftly down the ladder. His feet touched the ground.
The Oligarch watched from the corner of his eye. Herb moved toward the crowd. The crowd leaned forward to catch the Oligarch's every word.
And he was cleansed. He was free of all responsibility: it was now between Herb and Bud. If Herb succeeded....
"Ladies and gentlemen," he began.
They were hushed.
"Thank you for your reception. I stand today before...." His voice translated into a billion volts, blanketed the world with supersonic vibrations made audible by millions of loudspeakers.
He needed pay no attention to his speech. His mind was floating free, and his body was light and youthful. There were only a few more things to be done, and then his role would be finished.
"On this momentous occasion," the Oligarch continued.
Herb was free of the worst of the crowd. He resisted an impulse to run. He, too, was wearing a businessman's suit. It was the same one he had worn for the hearings. In it, he was indistinguishable from an Earthman. He pulled his hat lower over his face and pushed his way outward. Faces turned, eyes alerted with curiosity, shoulders shrugged, faces turned away. Herb did not know that Norma had seen him and was now trying to fight her way free of humanity to follow him.
The Oligarch continued his speech. His grim and gloomy reflections vanished. He peered out at the Earth faces with genuine benevolence. It's not in my hands any longer, he wanted to tell them. One of your Senators will make the ultimate decision, unless one of my starmen kills him first.
And then inwardly he chuckled. Or perhaps, he could have said, my starman will experience some incident, perhaps even a trivial one, that will awaken him to the fact that the universe is not in danger. In which event, he will not be able to convince you of the danger to Earth. For in due time, I will announce his escape as a dangerous lunatic.
Herb's feet moved rhythmically against the sidewalk. For one moment, there was a sense of freedom and impending loss. No more dream forms, his feet seemed to echo.
No
more
dream
forms....
And coloring it, the perception of the world around him, the bright air, the hot sun, the colors and the gentle wind. Perhaps the colors were most startling, for on Brionimar there was universal drabness that approached decay. The Oligarchy struck out at all frivolity, sensing danger to itself in all sensuous pleasure.
And then the beauty, the sheer, heart-stopping beauty of freedom and color burst on him; his conditioning collapsed. Earth knowledge surged across his memories.
It must not die, he thought, forgetting hatred in beauty. It must not, because there is so much that is good, that is noble, that is sad and mighty....
"Hello," Norma said breathlessly.
He whirled. For an instant he was terrified. He saw that she was alone.
He relaxed. Warmth grew within him. "Hello." Until now, it had not occurred to him that he might have been followed.
"Why did you—?"
A radio was blaring somewhere, and as he looked at her, both of them half laughing, they both heard the announcement that would be headlined shortly in the papers, as:
RENEGADE STARMAN ESCAPES SHIP. FEAR INSANE, SAYS GEORGE.
EARTH AUTHORITIES ALERTED. (Full description of escapee on page two.)
THIS MAN IS ARMED AND DANGEROUS.