boucher book oct28.pdf - Index of

198 Anthony Boucher
Brent thought quickly. “Martha is with Stephen, so Sirdam is probably there,
too. Go to him at once and warn him. I’m going to the travelers’ building and see
what’s happened. Meet you at the headquarters as soon as I can.”
Kruj hesitated. “Mimi—”
“I’ll bring her with me if I can. Get going.”
The streets were mad. Wild throngs jammed the moving roadways. Somewhere in
the distance mountainous flames leaped up and their furious glitter gleamed from
the eyes of the mob. These were the ordinary citizens of Stasis, no longer cattle, or
rather cattle stampeded.
A voice blared seemingly out of the heavens. Brent recognized the public address
system used for vital State messages. “Revolt of travelers haves spreaded to
amphitheater of Cosmos. Flames lighted by travelers now attack sacred spot. People
of Cosmos: Destroy travelers!”
There was nothing to mark Brent superficially as a traveler. He pushed along
with the mob, shouting as rabidly as any other. He could make no headway. He was
borne along on these foaming human waves.
Then in front of him he saw three Bokors pushing against the mob. If they spied
him— His hands groped along the wall. Just as a Bokor looked his way, he found
what he was seeking—one of the spying niches of the Stappers. He slipped into
safety, then peered out cautiously.
From the next door he saw a man emerge whom he knew by sight—a leading
dramatist of the sollies, who had promised to be an eventual convert of Kruj’s disciples.
Three citizens of the mob halted him as he stepped forth.
“What bees your name?”
“Where be you going?”
The solly writer hesitated. “I be going to amphitheater, Speaker have sayed—”
“When do you come from?”
“Why, from now.”
“What bees your name?”
“John—”
“Ha!” the first citizen yelled. “Stappers have telled us to find this John. Tear him
to pieces; he bees traveler.”
“No, truly. I be no traveler; I be writer of sollies.”
One of the citizens chortled cruelly. “Tear him for his bad sollies!”
There was one long scream—
Fire breeds fire, literally as well as metaphorically. The dwelling of the travelers was
ablaze when Brent reached it. A joyous mob cheered and gloated before it.
Brent started to push his way through, but a hand touched his arm and a familiar
voice whispered, “Achtung! Ou vkhodit.”
He interpreted the warning and let the Venusian draw him aside. Nikobat
rapidly explained.
“The Stappers came and subdued the whole crowd with paralyzing rods. They
took them away—God knows what they’ll do with them. There’s no one in there
now; the fire’s just a gesture.”