The Rituals of Infinity Page 9

  'Very well.' Faustaff glanced at the others. 'Who feels the same as Doctor May?'

  More than half of the men there indicated that they shared May's views. At least half of the remainder seemed undecided.

  'Very well,' he said again. 'It's probably best that we sorted this out now. Everyone who is ready to start work can remain here. The rest can leave. Some of you will be familiar with E-3, perhaps you can look after those who aren't.'

  When May and the others had left, Faustaff spoke to his chief of Communications on E-3, John Mahon, telling him to call in all operatives from the other subspacial alternates and get them working on an attempt to break through to E-Zero.

  Class H agents—those who worked for the organisation without realising what it was—were to be paid off. When Faustaff brought up the subject of Class H, Mahon snapped his fingers. 'That reminds me,' he said. 'You remember I put some class H men on to checking up on Steifflomeis and Maggy White?'

  It seemed a long time ago. Faustaff nodded. 'I suppose nothing came of it.'

  'The only information we got indicates that they have a tunneller of their own—or at least some method of travelling through the subspacial levels. Two Class H agents followed them out to L. A. to a cottage they evidently use as their base

  on E-3. They never came out of that cottage, and a check showed that they weren't there. The agents reported finding a lot of electronic equipment they couldn't recognise.'

  'It fits with what I found out,' Faustaff said. He told Mahon about his encounters with the two. 'If only we could get them to give us more information we might stand a better chance of getting a concrete solution to this mess.'

  Mahon agreed. 'It might be worth going out to this cottage of theirs, if we could find the time. What do you think?'

  Faustaff debated. 'I'm not sure. There's every likelihood that they'd have removed their equipment by now anyway.'

  'Right,' said Mahon. 'I'll forget about it. We can't spare anyone now to go out and have a look for us.'

  Faustaff picked up a tin box. It contained the information gathered about E-Zero. He told Mahon that he was going to his apartment to go through it again and could be contacted there.

  He drove his Buick through the sunny streets of 'Frisco, his enjoyment of the city's atmosphere now somewhat tainted by his mood of unaccustomed grimness.

  It was only as he entered his apartment and saw how tidy the place was that he remembered Nancy Hunt. She wasn't there now. He wondered if she had given him up and left, although the indications were that she was only out temporarily.

  He went to his desk and settled down to work, the phone beside him. As he studied the data, he phoned ideas through to his team at The Golden Gate.

  Nancy came in around midnight.

  'Fusty! Where have you been? You look dreadful. What's been happening?' 'A lot. Can you make me some coffee, Nancy?' 'Sure.'

  The redhead went straight into the kitchen and came out later with coffee and doughnuts. 'Want a sandwich, Fusty?

  There's Danish salami and liver sausage, rye bread and some potato salad.'

  'Make me a few,' he said. 'I'd forgotten I was hungry.'

  'There must be something important up, then,' she said, laying the tray down on a table near him and returning to the kitchen.

  Faustaff thought there might be a way of creating a new kind of warp in subspace, something they'd thought of in the past but dismissed since their methods had then been adequate. He phoned through to The Golden Gate and spoke to Mahon about it, telling him to find all the notes that had been made at the time. He realised that it was going to be several days before anything could be worked out properly and more time would be wasted in adapting the tunnellers, but his team was good, if depleted, and if anything could be done, they'd do it.

  His brain was beginning to get fuzzy and he realised he would have to relax for a while before continuing. When Nancy came back with the sandwiches he went and sat next to her on the couch, kissed her and ate his way through the food. He sat back feeling better.

  'What have you been doing, Nancy?'

  'Hanging around, waiting for you. I went to see a movie today.'

  'What was it about?'

  'Cowboys. What have you been doing, Fusty? I was worried.'

  'Travelling,' he said. 'Urgent business, you know.' 'You could have phoned.' 'Not from where I was.'

  'Well, let's go to bed now and make up for all that time wasted.'

  He felt even more miserable. 'I can't,' he said. 'I've got to go on with what I'm doing. I'm sorry, Nancy.'

  'What's all this about, Fusty?' She stroked his arm sympathetically. 'You're really upset, aren't you? It's not just a business problem.'

  'Yes, I'm upset. D'you want to hear the whole story?' He realised that he needed Nancy's comforting. There would be no harm now in telling her the whole story. Briefly he outlined the situation.

  When he'd finished she looked incredulous. 'I believe you,' she said. 'But I can't—can't take it all in. So we're all going to die, is that it?'

  'Unless I can do something about it. Even then, most of us will be destroyed.' The phone began to ring. He picked it up. It was Mahon. 'Hello, Mahon. What is it?'

  'We're checking the new warp theory. It seems to be getting somewhere, but that wasn't why I called. Just thought I'd better tell you that E-14 and E-13 are in Total Break-up. You were right. The enemy's getting busy. What can we do?'

  Faustaff sighed. 'Assign emergency teams to evacuate as many as possible from the deeper worlds. Evidently the enemy are working systematically. We'll just have to hope we can consolidate on here and E-2 and make a fight of it. Better order all the adjustors brought to E-2 and E-3. We'll spread them out. There might be a chance. We'll have to fight.'

  'There was one other thing,' Mahon said. T think May organised an expedition to E-4 before you left E-l.'

  'That's right. They were going to bomb Orelli's headquarters. Were they successful?'

  'They couldn't find it. They came back.'

  'But they must have found it—they couldn't have missed it.'

  'The only thing they found was a crater in the ice. It could just be that the whole cathedral had vanished—been shifted. You said Steifflomeis was with them, they had two D-squaders and a disrupter. It could easily mean that Steifflomeis is helping Orelli. He probably knows the potentialities of the disrupter. Or maybe something went wrong and the cathedral was destroyed in some way. The

  only thing that's certain is that they've vanished.'

  'I don't think they've destroyed themselves,' Faustaff replied. 'I think we'll have to watch for them in the near future. The combination of Orelli and Steifflomeis is a bad one for us.'

  'I won't forget. And I'll get the evacuation scheme moving. Any more details for us?'

  Faustaff felt guilty. He'd spent too much time talking to Nancy.

  'I'll let you know,' he said.

  'Okay.' Mahon put the receiver down.

  'Got to get on with it now, Nancy,' he said. He told her what he'd heard from Mahon.

  He settled himself at his desk and began work again, making notes and equations on the pad beside him. Tomorrow he would have to go back to the centre and use the computers himself.

  As he worked, Nancy kept him supplied with coffee and snacks. By eight the next morning he began to feel he was getting somewhere. He assembled his notes, put them in a folder, and was about to say goodbye to Nancy when she said:

  'Mind if I come along, Fusty. I wouldn't like to have to hang around here for you again.' 'Okay,' he said. 'Let's go.'

  As they arrived at The Golden Gate they found that the place had a visitor. It was Gordon Ogg. He came forward with John Mahon, through a confusion of technicians and machinery that now filled the dance hall.

  'Mr Ogg wants to see you, professor,' Mahon said. 'He's got some news about Orelli, I think.'

  'We'd better go upstairs, Gordon,' Faustaff said. They climbed the staircase to the second floor and entered a sma
ll, cluttered room where old furniture had been piled. 'This'll have to do,' Faustaff said as they sat down where they could.

  Nancy was still with them. Faustaff didn't feel like asking her to wait anywhere else.

  T must apologise for leaving you behind on E-l 1.' Ogg stroked his long moustache, looking even more mournful than usual. 'But then I had no conception of what was going on. You know it all, I suppose—the destruction of E-14 and E-13, the war that is destroying E-l?'

  'Yes.' Faustaff nodded.

  'And you know that Orelli has leagued himself with this chap with a funny name ...?'

  'Steifflomeis. I suspected it. Though I'm still unable to think what mutual interest they have. It is in yours and Orelli's for things to remain basically unchanged.'

  'As salvagers, yes. But Orelli has other schemes. That's why I came to see you. He contacted me this morning, at my base on E-2.'

  'So he is alive. I thought so.'

  'This other chap—Steifflomeis—was with him. They wanted my help. From what I can gather Steifflomeis was working for another group, but he's turned traitor. That was a little obscure. I couldn't quite make out who the other group were. There's a new parallel been formed, I gather...'

  'E-Zero, that's right. Did they tell you anything about it?'

  'Nothing much. Steifflomeis said something about its not having been "activated" yet, whatever that means. Anyway they have plans for going there and setting up their own government, something like that. Orelli was cautious, he didn't tell me much. He concentrated mainly on telling me that all the other worlds are due to break up soon and nothing will be able to stop this happening, that I might just as well throw in my lot with him and Steifflomeis since I had everything to lose and something to gain. I told him that I wasn't interested.'

  'Why did you do that?'

  'Call it a psychological quirk. As you know, professor, I have never felt any malice towards you and have always

  been careful never to attack you or any of your men by using violence. I preferred to leave you and work on my own—that's part of the same psychological quirk. But now it looks as if the crunch is coming. I wondered if I could help.'

  Faustaff was touched by Ogg's statement. 'I am sure you could. Just the act of offering has helped me, Gordon. I suppose you have no idea how Orelli and Steifflomeis intend to get through to E-Zero?'

  'Not really. They did refer to E-3 at one point, I think they might have had some equipment here. They certainly boasted of a refined tunneller—Steifflomeis seemed to link it with a disrupter that Orelli had captured. They can shift much bigger masses through subspace, I gathered.'

  'So that's what happened to the cathedral. But where is it now?'

  'The cathedral?'

  Faustaff explained. Ogg said he knew nothing of this.

  'I have the feeling,' Faustaff said, 'that the shifting of the cathedral has no real significance. It would have been done simply to exhibit the power of the new tunneller. But it is difficult to see why Steifflomeis has reneged on his own people. I'd better fill you in on this..' He repeated all he knew about Steifflomeis and Maggy White.

  Ogg took all the information expressionlessly. 'An alien race manipulating human beings from somewhere beyond Earth. It sounds too fantastic, professor. Yet I'm convinced.'

  T think I've been foolish,' Faustaff said. 'You say they mentioned a base on E-3. We know about it. There might be a chance of finding something after all. Do you want to come and see, Gordon?'

  'If you'd like me along.'

  'I would. Come on.'

  The three of them left the room. Faustaff enquired about air transport, but there was none available. He did not dare wait on the off-chance of a 'copter coming through and he

  was not sure enough of himself to requisition one being used for evacuation purposes. He got into his Buick and they drove out of San Francisco, heading for Los Angeles.

  They looked a strange trio, Faustaff driving; his huge body squeezed into the inadequate seat of the car, Nancy and Ogg in the back seats. Ogg had insisted on bringing the antiquated machine-gun he always carried. His tall, thin body was held erect, the gun cradled in his arm. He looked like a Victorian nobleman on safari, his eyes staring straight ahead down the long road that stretched into the Great American Desert.

  11

  The Way Through

  They found the house that had been marked for them on their map by Mahon before they left.

  It lay in a quiet Beverley Hills cul-de-sac about fifty yards from the road. A well-kept lawn lay in front and a gravel drive led to the house. They drove up it. Faustaff was too tired to bother about secrecy. They got out of the car and a couple of heaves of Faustaff s body broke the door open. They moved into the hall. It was wide and an open staircase led up from it.

  'Mahon said they'd found the equipment in the back room,' Faustaff said, leading the way there. He opened the door. Orelli stood there. He was alone, but his rifle was pointing straight at Faustaffs head. His thin lips smiled.

  'Professor Faustaff. We'd missed you.'

  'Forget the villainous dialogue, Orelli.' Faustaff skipped suddenly to one side and rushed at the ex-cardinal who pulled the trigger. A beam went high and pierced the outer wall. Faustaff began to grapple the gun from Orelli who was now snarling.

  Orelli plainly hadn't expected" such sudden action from Faustaff who was normally loath to indulge in any sort of violence.

  Ogg stepped in behind him while Nancy hovered in the doorway. He pushed the muzzle of his machine gun into Orelli's back and said softly: T shall have to kill you unless you are sensible, Orelli. Drop your rifle.'

  'Turncoat!' Orelli said as he dropped the gun. He seemed offended and surprised by Ogg's allying himself with Faustaff. 'Why have you sided with this fool?'

  Ogg didn't bother to reply. He tugged the laser rifle's cord from the power back on Orelli's back and threw the gun across the room.

  'Where's Steifflomeis and the rest of your men, Orelli?' Faustaff asked. 'We're impatient—we want to know a lot quickly. We're ready to kill you unless you tell us.'

  'Steifflomeis and my men are on the new planet.'

  'E-Zero? How did you get through when we couldn't?'

  'Steifflomeis has far greater resources than yours, professor. You were stupid to offend him. A man with his knowledge is worth cultivating.'

  'I wasn't interested in cultivating him, I was more interested in stopping him from killing me, if you remember.'

  Orelli turned to Ogg. 'And you, Gordon, taking sides against me, a fellow salvager. I am disappointed.'

  'We have nothing in common, Orelli. Answer the professor's questions.'

  Just then Nancy shouted and pointed. Turning, Faustaff saw that the air behind him seemed to glow and the wall beyond became hazy. A tunnel was being formed. Steifflomeis must be coming through.

  He picked up the useless laser rifle and stood watching the tunnel as it shimmered and took shape. It was of a glowing reddish colour, unlike the dull grey of the tunnels he was used to. Out of it stepped Steifflomeis, he was unarmed. He smiled, apparently unperturbed, when he saw what had happened.

  'What are you trying to do, professor?' Behind him the tunnel began to fade.

  'We're after information primarily, Herr Steifflomeis,' Faustaff answered, feeling more confident now that it was plain Steifflomeis had no more men with him. 'Are you going to give it to us here, or must we take you back to our headquarters?'

  'What sort of information, Professor Faustaff?'

  'Firstly we want to know how you can get through to E-Zero when we can't.'

  'Better machines, professor.'

  'Who made the machines?'

  'My erstwhile principals. I could not tell you how to build one, only how to work one.' 'Well, you can show us.'

  'If you wish.' Steifflomeis shrugged and went to a machine that was evidently the main console for the rest of the devices in the room. 'It is a simple matter of tapping out a set of coordinates and setting a
switch.'

  Faustaff decided that Steifflomeis was probably telling the truth and he didn't know how the advanced tunneller worked. He would have to get a team down here immediately and have them check it over.

  'Can you keep them covered, Gordon?' he said. 'I'll phone my headquarters and get some people here as soon as possible.'

  Ogg nodded and Faustaff went into the hall where he'd seen the phone.

  He got through to the operator and gave her the number he wanted. The phone rang for some time before someone answered. He asked for Mahon.

  At length Mahon came on the line and Faustaff told him what had happened. Mahon promised to send a team up by 'copter right away.

  Faustaff was just going back into the room when he heard footsteps on the path outside. He went to the door and there was Maggy White.

  'Professor Faustaff,' she nodded, as seemingly unsurprised by his presence as Steifflomeis had been. Faustaff

  began to think that all his recent actions had been anticipated.

  'Were you expecting me to be here?' he asked. 'No. Is Steifflomeis here?' 'He is.' 'Where?'

  'In the back room. You'd better join him.'

  She went ahead of Faustaff, looked at Nancy curiously and then stepped into the room.

  'We've got them all now,' Faustaff said, feeling much better. 'We'll wait for the team to arrive and then we can get down to business. I suppose,' he turned to Steifflomeis, 'you or Miss White wouldn't like to tell us the whole story before they come?'

  T might,' Steifflomeis said, 'particularly since it would now be best if I convinced you to throw in your lot with Cardinal Orelli and myself.'

  Faustaff glanced at Maggy White. 'Do you feel the same as Steifflomeis? Are you prepared to tell me more?'

  She shook her head. 'And I shouldn't believe too much of what he tells you, either, professor.'

  Steifflomeis glanced at his wrist watch.

  'It doesn't matter now,' he said, almost cheerfully. 'We appear to be on our way.'

  Suddenly it seemed that the whole house was lifted by a whirlwind and Faustaff thought briefly that Orelli had rightly called him a fool. He should have realised that what could be done with a gigantic cathedral could also be done with a small house.