Star Ship on Saddle Mountain (17 page)
"Tell them to hurry it, Dondee—I can't hold on much
longer."
breathing.
"Tell them to hurry, Dondee—"
But as Dondee was about to repeat the call, several
tall elderly men arrived. With their advanced medical aid, seven
thousand years of scientific progress beyond Earth's, the alien
doctors soon filmed the torn tissues, after first slowing the heart
beat so that the pumping blood pressure was down to almost nothing.
After the final outer filming, the doctors soon had Biri standing,
for though still weak, the immediate transfusion had replaced her
lost blood.
Standing beside Biri, satisfied that she was now
past the danger point, the chief doctor glanced curiously at the
pen cylinder as he wiped it clean. He looked at it a long time.
Then, turning his attention to Charlie, he said:
"The Primate's daughter owes her life to the
Primitive science of your world, young man. And to you, for your
knowledge of that strange science. We could never have reached her
in time."
"Yes, Charles," said the Primate as he held Biri to
him. "Your science seems to be not so primitive after all."
help, carrying Biri himself to the airlift after the swift journey
down to the surface. Though Elstara and Dondee were right there
with him, all his attention was given to holding Biri, and to
Charlie, whom he insisted stay close beside him.
And Elstara Bin, always cordial and graciously
friendly, now not only walked close to him, but held him close to
her, silent all the way home to the tier apartment. Dondee followed
close behind Charlie, for with his parents on either side of him,
that was the closest he could get to the friend who had saved his
duplicate.
The quick healing medicines did their job well. It
was only three days after the accident when the physician came to
remove the last bandage and give Biri a final checkup.
But as the doctor was removing the thin,
drug-impregnated healers from her throat, Biri's greatest worry was
that a scar would still remain. Though the doctor assured her it
would be very small, if any mark at all, still Biri dreaded the
thought of it.
At last, as Dondee and Charlie held a disc-shaped
mirror, smiling at her as they lifted it up before her, Biri
frowned. She looked closely into it, despite their assurances,
trying hard to find trace of a line. She could find no sign of the
tear that had been in her throat three days before.
In great delight Biri clapped her hands happily—a
joyous shout coming clearly from her mouth. Biri clapped her hand
over her mouth suddenly—puzzled, as she and the others looked
uncertainly at the smiling doctor.
"I thought perhaps that might happen," said the
medical man. "Such injuries often change the un-used larynx
structure. Biri, without the long training and exercises usually
necessary, now has regained the bygone vocal power once used. She
has regained her voice."
Hardly had the doctor gone when the Bin family
began making plans to hold a big dinner, a celebration party for
Charlie, the newest member of the family. Charlie was aware of what
was going on, but was kept out of most of the details, in their
effort to surprise him. A special gift was planned for him,
something they would do to make him feel fully at home, part of the
family, for now and always.
Charlie was grateful for all the attention, and not
only for every special privilege they showed him, but also because
Navajo was brought in for very special treatment, too.
The Primate and Elstara, as well as "your own two
duplicates," as Biri and Dondee constantly reminded him, did little
else but concentrate on doing things for Charlie. Other Council
members, and people of the Capitol City, were invited. They all
came to meet Charlie and help make him feel at home in his new
world.
"Later," the Primate said, "you must go with me,
Charles, to the Mist Forests, when I go next. And also, I’ll want
you to come with me on other trips, such as to the six other cities
of our world, so you can see how our world is conducted."
before."
"Not a parallel case," Darda Bin said impatiently.
"Charles is a special child ... in fact, very likely to sit in
Council some day."
"If Charles says we can, may we go too?" asked
Dondee.
"In that event, we'll all make trips together,"
said the Primate.
The next day, before the first morning's lights
were on in the streets outside, Dondee and Biri came out of their
compartments, tiptoeing into the center compartment. They shook
Charlie to waken him.
"Hey—it's still the middle of the night!"
"Today's the day—!" Dondee told him.
"Just get out of bed!" Biri threw at him, using
her newly-acquired sound language. All together, they went down the
airlift to the bottom tier
to get Navajo and Crustie their breakfast. Then
back upstairs to find the Primate and Elstara already up and
getting breakfast. As they came in Elstara Bin turned on the
musicale, even though it was early morning, and smiling at Charles,
she said: "This day is a special one, so it's not too early!" and
she rumpled Charlie's black hair affectionately.
"Oh, I recognize that music," Charlie said. "It's
another song from my home world, isn't it?"
dignified, soothing melody filled the big room. He couldn't think
of the exact title, except to remember that he had heard it long
ago, and it recalled a place of his homeland, a place called
Luxemburg.
Primate as he came from his room, "it will be another race now,
between you and your duplicate Dondee, to see who can grow up and
become the next Council Member!"
"This is a time," said Elstara, "that your father
can say is indeed a parallel case. Charles and Dondee. Perhaps,
both shall become members."
special preference shown his friend and new duplicate.
"Now if old Biri was a boy too, maybe she could
become—"
A fiery impulse—then her remembered voice, shot
quickly at Dondee, telling him, "Maybe some day they will have
women on the Council!"
As the dinner proceeded, Primate Bin stood up to
speak.
"For a gracious act, Charles," he said, "and a
special service to the family beyond repayment, I wish to give you
now, that wish you may want most. I have talked with the world
Council Members, and I, through them, am authorized to grant to you
now, my other son, whatever gift it is within our power to
give."
As he paused and waited, Charlie looked about at
all of them, noticing suddenly the very serious expression on all
their faces—Elstara, Biri and Dondee. At first, not understanding,
he then realized their solemn looks were caused by
impulse, speaking the words softly, "even that can be granted. I
shall honor your request. The departure shall be when you wish
it."
"Yes, Charles," Elstara Bin added her impulse, her
eyes brimmed with sudden tears. "Yes, you can, Charles."
"It's the best gift of all," Dondee said, "the one
we figured you might want."
"Even if we're going to miss you forever and ever,"
Biri said, trying not to look at her mother and possibly break down
too.
then all of them were laughing, feeling better.
"We must feel the happiness of Charles," said the
Primate, from his seat. "Whatever he wants, that is what we want
too."
They all nodded. Once again the dinner party was
gay as all tried to concentrate on the gala event for Charlie, and
to make it something he would never forget . . . even back on his
own
shrugged their shoulders, not knowing just what the surprise was
that Biri and Dondee had concealed from them, as well as
Charlie.
"Biri's going to do something," Dondee went on,
"and it's something she could never do, if it hadn't been for
Charles."
Glancing down at his sister, he added
unceremoniously: "Go
on, Biri, get up on your feet and do it now."
Immune to Dondee's bluntness, Biri got up as though
she had been given the finest of introductions. She turned a little
to face Charlie better.
"It's something from your world, Charles," she
said, speaking the words. " 'The Sunlight Serenade.' I learned all
the words, Charles, so I could sing it for you."
High up in the Primate's tower in the Capitol
City, Charlie listened, as Biri Biri Bin began the song they called
the Sunlight Serenade, a song of Earth the Barrier World had taken
for its own . . .
"How sweet is Sunshine, bright and laughing
Sunshine
For oh how sweet is life when light is true ... Oh
Sun of beauty,
Oh star of light In your eyes only> is my
delight My Sun, my Sun
of beauty My star of light . . . My star of
light."
it made him sad to think of the departure. The last days for him on
the Barrier World of Saturn passed swiftly—carefree days, free of
all former misgivings, except for the shadow of parting. The idea
that he would leave the Bin home and never see Dondee and Biri
again saddened him most of all.
"I hope, son," said Darda Bin, "that no matter
where you are, you might want to keep your new family name . . .
remembering that we will always consider your home as being
here."
"We'll always have a place here, Charles, for you,"
and as she spoke, Elstara placed her hand on her left side, over
the heart. "Always."
I'm sure going to miss you, too. All of you."
"Oh—son," the Primate said now, "I must ask a favor
of you, a promise. It's very important to our world . . . your
other home."
"Yes, father?"
"Please, when you are back on your world, never
mention the Star Project, will you?"
Charlie remained silent for some moments, his
thoughts recalling now the great mystery he had almost forgotten,
the secret that even now he did not know about their world.
"But—" he said, "I—I couldn't promise that. I don't
even know that it isn't going to be—"
"No, son," Elstara put in, "it is no such thing.
Our world would never, could never, attack your homeland. We are
not savages."
longer."
The terse, desperate impulse
repeated, people were active now on the space island. Dondee got
the impulses from Elstara and the Primate saying the doctors were
coming and, with their impulses, they, too, climbed into the
Lancer.
breathing.
"Tell them to hurry, Dondee—"
But as Dondee was about to repeat the call, several
tall elderly men arrived. With their advanced medical aid, seven
thousand years of scientific progress beyond Earth's, the alien
doctors soon filmed the torn tissues, after first slowing the heart
beat so that the pumping blood pressure was down to almost nothing.
After the final outer filming, the doctors soon had Biri standing,
for though still weak, the immediate transfusion had replaced her
lost blood.
Standing beside Biri, satisfied that she was now
past the danger point, the chief doctor glanced curiously at the
pen cylinder as he wiped it clean. He looked at it a long time.
Then, turning his attention to Charlie, he said:
"The Primate's daughter owes her life to the
Primitive science of your world, young man. And to you, for your
knowledge of that strange science. We could never have reached her
in time."
"Yes, Charles," said the Primate as he held Biri to
him. "Your science seems to be not so primitive after all."
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The Special
Gift
help, carrying Biri himself to the airlift after the swift journey
down to the surface. Though Elstara and Dondee were right there
with him, all his attention was given to holding Biri, and to
Charlie, whom he insisted stay close beside him.
And Elstara Bin, always cordial and graciously
friendly, now not only walked close to him, but held him close to
her, silent all the way home to the tier apartment. Dondee followed
close behind Charlie, for with his parents on either side of him,
that was the closest he could get to the friend who had saved his
duplicate.
The quick healing medicines did their job well. It
was only three days after the accident when the physician came to
remove the last bandage and give Biri a final checkup.
But as the doctor was removing the thin,
drug-impregnated healers from her throat, Biri's greatest worry was
that a scar would still remain. Though the doctor assured her it
would be very small, if any mark at all, still Biri dreaded the
thought of it.
At last, as Dondee and Charlie held a disc-shaped
mirror, smiling at her as they lifted it up before her, Biri
frowned. She looked closely into it, despite their assurances,
trying hard to find trace of a line. She could find no sign of the
tear that had been in her throat three days before.
In great delight Biri clapped her hands happily—a
joyous shout coming clearly from her mouth. Biri clapped her hand
over her mouth suddenly—puzzled, as she and the others looked
uncertainly at the smiling doctor.
"I thought perhaps that might happen," said the
medical man. "Such injuries often change the un-used larynx
structure. Biri, without the long training and exercises usually
necessary, now has regained the bygone vocal power once used. She
has regained her voice."
Hardly had the doctor gone when the Bin family
began making plans to hold a big dinner, a celebration party for
Charlie, the newest member of the family. Charlie was aware of what
was going on, but was kept out of most of the details, in their
effort to surprise him. A special gift was planned for him,
something they would do to make him feel fully at home, part of the
family, for now and always.
Charlie was grateful for all the attention, and not
only for every special privilege they showed him, but also because
Navajo was brought in for very special treatment, too.
The Primate and Elstara, as well as "your own two
duplicates," as Biri and Dondee constantly reminded him, did little
else but concentrate on doing things for Charlie. Other Council
members, and people of the Capitol City, were invited. They all
came to meet Charlie and help make him feel at home in his new
world.
"Later," the Primate said, "you must go with me,
Charles, to the Mist Forests, when I go next. And also, I’ll want
you to come with me on other trips, such as to the six other cities
of our world, so you can see how our world is conducted."
"You never wanted to take
me
," Dondee said with a
grin, "when you went off on trips, father."
before."
"Not a parallel case," Darda Bin said impatiently.
"Charles is a special child ... in fact, very likely to sit in
Council some day."
"If Charles says we can, may we go too?" asked
Dondee.
"In that event, we'll all make trips together,"
said the Primate.
The next day, before the first morning's lights
were on in the streets outside, Dondee and Biri came out of their
compartments, tiptoeing into the center compartment. They shook
Charlie to waken him.
"Hey—it's still the middle of the night!"
"Today's the day—!" Dondee told him.
"Just get out of bed!" Biri threw at him, using
her newly-acquired sound language. All together, they went down the
airlift to the bottom tier
to get Navajo and Crustie their breakfast. Then
back upstairs to find the Primate and Elstara already up and
getting breakfast. As they came in Elstara Bin turned on the
musicale, even though it was early morning, and smiling at Charles,
she said: "This day is a special one, so it's not too early!" and
she rumpled Charlie's black hair affectionately.
"Oh, I recognize that music," Charlie said. "It's
another song from my home world, isn't it?"
"Yes, Charles. It's one we call
the
Civilization Waltz,
the waltz of culture."
dignified, soothing melody filled the big room. He couldn't think
of the exact title, except to remember that he had heard it long
ago, and it recalled a place of his homeland, a place called
Luxemburg.
The whole family gave Charlie
hardly a minute to himself all day. They did one thing after
another, visiting several places in the Capitol City, back home,
and then in the evening, the special festive supper that had every
delicacy their world could offer. And Charlie found, in dressing
for dinner, that his own special new clothes had just arrived. And
on the short toga cape, there was the vivid blue cobalt stripe—the
Sun stripe color of the Council, which could only be worn by
members of the Primate's personal family. Somehow, as Charlie
looked at it admiringly, that small shimmering band on the left
shoulder was the final touch in making him feel at home. Like
Dondee and Biri, he was officially part of the Primate's family;
they were
his
folks now.
Primate as he came from his room, "it will be another race now,
between you and your duplicate Dondee, to see who can grow up and
become the next Council Member!"
"This is a time," said Elstara, "that your father
can say is indeed a parallel case. Charles and Dondee. Perhaps,
both shall become members."
"Oh, I
know
they will!" Biri said, fairly
shouting the words to show she could also use the sound language of
Charlie. She glanced at Dondee, turning up her nose at him, then
laughed.
special preference shown his friend and new duplicate.
"Now if old Biri was a boy too, maybe she could
become—"
A fiery impulse—then her remembered voice, shot
quickly at Dondee, telling him, "Maybe some day they will have
women on the Council!"
As the dinner proceeded, Primate Bin stood up to
speak.
"For a gracious act, Charles," he said, "and a
special service to the family beyond repayment, I wish to give you
now, that wish you may want most. I have talked with the world
Council Members, and I, through them, am authorized to grant to you
now, my other son, whatever gift it is within our power to
give."
As he paused and waited, Charlie looked about at
all of them, noticing suddenly the very serious expression on all
their faces—Elstara, Biri and Dondee. At first, not understanding,
he then realized their solemn looks were caused by
what the Primate had just said.
The full impact hit him squarely now. He could see the reason for
their sorrowful looks.
Whatever gift is
within our power
—sure, that would mean
anything . . . going
anywhere
, the thought raced through
Charlie's mind. And even as he thought it, he realized that they,
too, clearly knew his great and excited thought —the thought for
that distant home. And Charlie also realized now, that all along
they knew this moment would come.
impulse, speaking the words softly, "even that can be granted. I
shall honor your request. The departure shall be when you wish
it."
"Yes, Charles," Elstara Bin added her impulse, her
eyes brimmed with sudden tears. "Yes, you can, Charles."
"It's the best gift of all," Dondee said, "the one
we figured you might want."
"Even if we're going to miss you forever and ever,"
Biri said, trying not to look at her mother and possibly break down
too.
"Up to now, Charles," Dondee said,
"we were the
only
family in our world that had a member with black
eyes."
then all of them were laughing, feeling better.
"We must feel the happiness of Charles," said the
Primate, from his seat. "Whatever he wants, that is what we want
too."
They all nodded. Once again the dinner party was
gay as all tried to concentrate on the gala event for Charlie, and
to make it something he would never forget . . . even back on his
own
world. Charlie felt deeply
grateful. Everything had changed for him now. All the alien world,
even its silvery mist without pure Sun's light. Nothing could keep
him from liking it now, from feeling he would at least miss it a
little. Then Dondee stood up quickly, eagerly. "Biri has the best
surprise of all for you, Charles," he said, smiling at Charlie.
Then he added: "Well, anyway—the
second
best!"
shrugged their shoulders, not knowing just what the surprise was
that Biri and Dondee had concealed from them, as well as
Charlie.
"Biri's going to do something," Dondee went on,
"and it's something she could never do, if it hadn't been for
Charles."
Glancing down at his sister, he added
unceremoniously: "Go
on, Biri, get up on your feet and do it now."
Immune to Dondee's bluntness, Biri got up as though
she had been given the finest of introductions. She turned a little
to face Charlie better.
"It's something from your world, Charles," she
said, speaking the words. " 'The Sunlight Serenade.' I learned all
the words, Charles, so I could sing it for you."
High up in the Primate's tower in the Capitol
City, Charlie listened, as Biri Biri Bin began the song they called
the Sunlight Serenade, a song of Earth the Barrier World had taken
for its own . . .
"How sweet is Sunshine, bright and laughing
Sunshine
When skies are
clearing
,
for
our forthfaring
For oh how sweet is life when light is true ... Oh
Sun of beauty,
Oh star of light In your eyes only> is my
delight My Sun, my Sun
of beauty My star of light . . . My star of
light."
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Going Home
it made him sad to think of the departure. The last days for him on
the Barrier World of Saturn passed swiftly—carefree days, free of
all former misgivings, except for the shadow of parting. The idea
that he would leave the Bin home and never see Dondee and Biri
again saddened him most of all.
"I hope, son," said Darda Bin, "that no matter
where you are, you might want to keep your new family name . . .
remembering that we will always consider your home as being
here."
"We'll always have a place here, Charles, for you,"
and as she spoke, Elstara placed her hand on her left side, over
the heart. "Always."
"Charles
Bin," Biri said, more to herself than the others, and just to
see how the name sounded out loud as she said it.
I'm sure going to miss you, too. All of you."
"Oh—son," the Primate said now, "I must ask a favor
of you, a promise. It's very important to our world . . . your
other home."
"Yes, father?"
"Please, when you are back on your world, never
mention the Star Project, will you?"
Charlie remained silent for some moments, his
thoughts recalling now the great mystery he had almost forgotten,
the secret that even now he did not know about their world.
"But—" he said, "I—I couldn't promise that. I don't
even know that it isn't going to be—"
"No, son," Elstara put in, "it is no such thing.
Our world would never, could never, attack your homeland. We are
not savages."
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