The Other Likeness Page 3

doing. That, of course, would suggest that they already havean inkling of Kalechi's three-year plan to destroy the Federation."

  Rane added, "And that at least one of the group already has beencaptured!"

  "Probably."

  There was silence for a moment. Santin said evenly, "That isn't apleasant thought. Halder, everything we've learned recently at theIdentification Center indicates that Rane's theory is correct ... everyone of the twelve hundred members of the Kalechi group probably can beanalyzed down to the same three basic identity-patterns, reshuffled inendless variation. The Federation wouldn't have to capture many of usbefore discovering the fact. It will then start doing exactly what we'retrying to do--use it to identify the rest of the group."

  Halder nodded. "I've thought of that."

  "You still intend to use the Senla Starlight Cruisers to get out intospace?" Rane asked.

  "Kilby and I will," Halder said. "But now, of course, you two had betterselect one of the alternate escape routes."

  "Why that?" Santin asked sharply.

  Halder looked at her. "That's obvious, isn't it? There's a good chanceyou're still completely in the clear."

  "That's possible. But it isn't a good enough reason for splitting up.We're a working team, and we should stay together, regardless ofcircumstances. What do you say, Rane?"

  Her husband said, "I agree with you." He smiled briefly at Halder."We'll be waiting for you on the north shore of Lake Senla ten minutesbefore the Starlight Cruise lifts. Now, is there anything else todiscuss?"

  "Not at the moment." Halder paused, dissatisfied, then went on. "Allright. We still don't know just what the Federation is capable of ...one move might as easily be wrong as the other. We'll pick you up, asarranged. Kilby and I are flighthiking on to Senla, so we might as wellstart immediately."

  They went into the second room of the underground hideout. Rane turnedto the exit portal's controls, asked, "Where shall I let you out?"

  "We'll take the river exit," Halder said. "Six miles from here, ninefrom the ranch ... that should be far enough. We'll be lost in an armyof vacationers from Draise and the capital thirty seconds after weemerge."

  * * * * *

  It was dusk when Halder and Kilby turned into the crowded shore walk ofthe lake resort of Senla, moving unhurriedly towards a bungalow Halderhad bought under another name some months before. Halder's thoughts wentagain over the details of the final stage of their escape from Orado.Essentially, the plan was simple. An hour from now they would slidetheir small star cruiser out of the bungalow's yacht stall, pick up Raneand Santin on the far shore of the lake, then join the group of thirtyor so private yachts which left the resort area nightly for a two-hourflight to a casino ship stationed off the planet. A group cruise wasunlikely to draw official scrutiny even tonight; and after reaching thecasino, they should be able to slip on unobserved into space.

  There was, however, no way of knowing with certainty that the plan ...or any other plan ... would work. It was only during the past few monthsthat the four of them had begun to understand in detail the extent towhich the vast, apparently loose complex of the Federation's worlds wasactually organized. How long they had been under observation, how muchthe Federation suspected or knew about them--those questions were, atthe moment, unanswerable. So Halder walked on in alert silence, givinghis attention to anything which might be a first indication of danger inthe crowds surging quietly past them along Senla's shore promenade inthe summer evening. It was near the peak of the resort's season; asense of ease and relaxation came from the people he passed, theirvoices seeming to blend into a single, low-pitched, friendly murmur.Well, and in time, Halder told himself, if everything went well, he andKilby might be able to mingle undisguised, unafraid, with just such acrowd. But tonight they were hunted.

  He laid his hand lightly on Kilby's arm, said, "Let's rest on that benchover there for a moment."

  She smiled up at him, said, "All right," turned and led the way towardsan unoccupied bench set back among the trees above the walk. They satdown, and Halder quickly slipped the watch off his wrist and removed thescanner's cover plate. The bungalow was a few hundred yards away now, ona side path which led down to the lake. It was showing no lights, but asthe scanner reached into it, invisible radiation flooded the dark roomsand hallway, disclosing them to the instrument's inspection. For two orthree minutes, Halder studied the bungalow's interior carefully; then heshifted the view to the grounds outside, finally to the yacht stall andthe little star cruiser. Twice Kilby touched him warningly as somebodyappeared about to approach the bench, and Halder put down his hand. Butthe strangers went by without pausing.

  At last, he replaced the instrument on his wrist. He had discovered nosigns of intrusion in the bungalow; and, at any rate, it was clear thatno one was waiting there now, either in the little house itself or inthe immediate vicinity. He stood up, and put out his hand to assistKilby to her feet.

  "We'll go on," he said.

  A few minutes later, they came along a narrow garden path to thebungalow's dark side entrance. There was to be no indication tonightthat the bungalow had occupants. Halder unlocked the door quietly, andafter Kilby had slipped inside, he stepped in behind her and secured thedoor.

  For an instant, as they moved along the short, lightless passage to thefront rooms, a curious sensation touched Halder--a terrifying convictionthat some undefinable thing had just gone wrong. And with that, hiswhole body was suddenly rigid, every muscle locking in mid-motion. Hefelt momentum topple him slowly forwards; then he was no longer fallingbut stopped, tilted off-balance at a grotesque angle, suspended in a webof forces he could not feel. Not the slightest sound had come fromKilby, invisible in the blackness ahead of him.

  Halder threw all his will and strength into the effort to force motionback into his body. Instead, a wave of cold numbness washed slowly upthrough him. It welled into his brain, and for a time all thought andsensation ended.

  * * * * *

  His first new awareness was a feeling of being asleep and not knowinghow to wake up. There was no disturbance associated with it. All aboutwas darkness, complete and quiet.

  With curious deliberation, Halder's senses now began bringing otherthings to his attention. He was seated, half reclining, in a deep andcomfortable chair, his back against it. He seemed unable to move. Hisarms were secured in some manner to the chair's armrests; but, beyondthat, he also found it impossible to lift his body forwards or, hediscovered next, to turn his head in any direction. He was breathingnormally, and he could open and shut his eyes and glance about inunchanging darkness. But that was all.

  Still with a dreamlike lack of concern, Halder began to ask himself whathad happened; and in that instant, with a rush of hot terror, his memoryopened out. They had been trapped ... some undetectable trick ofFederation science had waited for them in the bungalow at Lake Senla. Hehad been taken somewhere else.

  What had they done with Kilby?

  Immediately, almost as if in answer to his question, the darkness seemedto lighten. But the process was gradual; seconds passed before Haldergained the impression of a very large room of indefinite proportions.Twenty feet away was the rim of a black, circular depression in theflooring. At first, his chair seemed the only piece of furnishing here;then, as the area continued to brighten, Halder became aware of severalobjects at some distance on his right.

  For an instant, he strained violently to turn his head towards them.That was still impossible, but the objects were there, near the edge ofhis vision. Again the great room grew lighter, and for seconds Haldercould distinguish three armchairs like his own, spaced perhaps twentyfeet apart along the rim of the central pit. Each chair had an occupant;in the nearest was Kilby, restored to her natural appearance,motionless, pale face turned forwards, eyes open. Suddenly the lightvanished.

  Halder sat shocked, realizing he had tried to speak to Kilby and that nosound had come from his throat. Neither speech nor motion was
allowedthem here. But he didn't doubt that Kilby was awake, or that Santin andRane Rellis were in the farther chairs, though he hadn't seen either ofthem clearly. Their captors had given them a brief glimpse of oneanother, perhaps to let them know all had been caught. Then, as thelight disappeared, Halder's glance had shifted for an instant to hisright hand lying on the armrest--long enough to see that the dark tingewas gone from his skin, as it was from Kilby's, that he, too, had beendeprived of the organisms which disguised him.

  And that, his studies in Draise had showed clearly, was something theFederation's science would be a century away from knowing how to dounless it learned about Kalechi's deadly skills.

  Once more, it was almost as if