'The old old G.o.d is dead. G.o.d is dead. Our Our G.o.d is dead.' G.o.d is dead.'

'Then He didn't rule the entire universe? There was another G.o.d who-'

'No,' Sam said, waving a hand limply to cut off the questions. He wanted to throw up, to chuck out his meals and his memories. But the latter could not be forced away, and the former would have to be held down if only for the sake of convenience. 'He did did rule all of the universe. Every speck of it!' rule all of the universe. Every speck of it!'

'But-'

'But there was a G.o.d above Him in yet another universe, a higher dimension. Look at it as a ladder, Andy. We are the bottom rung. Above us was our G.o.d-whom we killed. Above that G.o.d was this one with a pocket universe of slug ships. When we killed our G.o.d, our Keeper, our Master, we destroyed the dimension above us, because He was that entire dimension. The gap created in the ladder caused a sliding down of the rungs. We have meshed with the third rung, and this new G.o.d with the slug-forms is in our midst.'

'And as warped as the G.o.d on the second rung.'

'Exactly.' He was feeling better as he shared the horror, his cheeks flushing to ward off the cold that was really a cold from within.

'And what does this new G.o.d want?'

'To* destroy us.' He recalled all the lines of thought that had been radiating from the Central Being, flooding through the counter-melodies of Racesong. 'Destroy us. Wipe us out to the last man, woman, and child.'

'Why?'

'To preserve Its self-importance. We are creatures It never conjured into existence. We are beyond Its control, really, because It is not our G.o.d and It is not measurably better than we are. It cannot annihilate us, for It isn't that powerful. But It can direct Its creatures, the slug-forms, to do the job for It. Since they are vicious fighters and we do not have the power to strike back, it should not be a difficult ch.o.r.e.'

'We have to get back to the floater,' Coro said, standing and helping Sam to his feet. 'We've got to get word back to Hope somehow. A warning.'

They were nearly halfway across the meadow before they heard the noise and saw the whoosh whoosh of blue light that gushed from the weapons of the slug-forms surrounding the floater. A steel net had been dropped over the ball, magno-connected to ground pegs s.p.a.ced every three feet. A tough, tight enclosure, quickly and silently thrown up-even more quickly clamped shut. Lotus and Crazy had probably been ach.o.r.ed before they had realized something was happening. of blue light that gushed from the weapons of the slug-forms surrounding the floater. A steel net had been dropped over the ball, magno-connected to ground pegs s.p.a.ced every three feet. A tough, tight enclosure, quickly and silently thrown up-even more quickly clamped shut. Lotus and Crazy had probably been ach.o.r.ed before they had realized something was happening.

'The hypnodarts,' Coro whispered, dropping to his knees in the high gra.s.s.

They knelt, only their heads visible above the gra.s.s, and stripped themselves of all unnecessary equipment, equipment which would have been necessary had the Racesong not prevented them from exploring Raceship. Raceship. Then, nervously, they screwed together the two parts of the dart rifles. It was a humane weapon. It caused sleep, but not the ultimate sleep of death. It was, really, the only sort of weapon they could have brought themselves to use against intelligent creatures. Each rifle had a clip of forty darts which slid easily into the b.u.t.t of the weapon, just above the powerpack. Then, nervously, they screwed together the two parts of the dart rifles. It was a humane weapon. It caused sleep, but not the ultimate sleep of death. It was, really, the only sort of weapon they could have brought themselves to use against intelligent creatures. Each rifle had a clip of forty darts which slid easily into the b.u.t.t of the weapon, just above the powerpack.

Running crouched, rifles at ready in the event they were spotted prematurely, the blue explosions of the slugs' weapons neon-flashing in the dark, Sam was thinking of Hurkos. Of Hurkos clubbing that pink slug that teetered on the edge of the Shield, that wormy thing that had been G.o.d. He remembered the stinking mush of fluids that had spilled from the rips Hurkos had made in its hide. He remembered it writhing in death agony. Clubbing, clubbing, clubbing with a vicious, spiteful swing of the arms. Clubbing* But he he was not going to kill! Only put them to sleep. Just sting them for a split second and then give them a nap. And he was saving the lives of the two Mues inside the floater, he argued with himself. Yes. Of course. That must be the way to think of it. was not going to kill! Only put them to sleep. Just sting them for a split second and then give them a nap. And he was saving the lives of the two Mues inside the floater, he argued with himself. Yes. Of course. That must be the way to think of it.

Wind: cold.

Light: blue.

Night: dark.

These three things swam and erupted through one another, cold-dark-blue/blue-dark-cold like a psychedelic toto-experience show, throbbing through the gra.s.s that licked them like a thousand tiny tongues as the scene of violence ahead became plainer, clearer, uglier and uglier.

The slug laser weapon was concentrated on the hull, and although Crazy and Lotus had begun to spin the ship under the net, the beam would soon trace a black line around the sphere and slice it in half.

Sam fought the weariness that ached in every joint of his body. Fatigue, he told himself, was one of those mental disorders you could overcome with the proper tools of concentration. But concentrate as he would, his legs still throbbed madly, and his lungs heaved like sacks full of hot coals suddenly come to life.

'Here,' Coro said.

They dropped to the earth at the edge of the gra.s.s, staring across five yards of open ground to the trees and the indentation in the forest where the floater spun and was fired upon. 'What now?' Sam asked, his throat dry and cracked like his lips.

Coro wiped perspiration from his forehead despite the cool breezes playing inside their minds and bodies. 'I count* fourteen. But there may be more hidden in the trees. Don't start fanning your rifle right off. That wastes too many darts. But look how they are standing. They all have their backs to us. If we pick them off, moving inward, the boys in front won't realize the boys behind are going down.'

'I don't know about my aim-'

'The gun will handle most of that. You just sight through the keyhole bubble here. The gun will correct for the rest.'

They dropped to their bellies, crawled forward the last few feet until their heads were exposed beyond the tall gra.s.s. Sam raised his gun, sighted. The nearest slug on his side was a dozen feet away. His finger encircled the trigger, and he felt things rising in his stomach. Then he forced himself to think about all those guns from the jelly-ma.s.s ship-and that he knew how to work them. And they were to kill; these were only to drug. He pulled the trigger, closing his eyes with the soft whuff whuff of discharge. of discharge.

When he opened his eyes, the slug was lying on its side, fuzzy, thin lids closed over its eyes, still alive but out of action for a while. Coro had gotten two in the same time. Carefully, Sam raised his gun again, sighted in on another slug. Whuff! Whuff! This time he didn't close his eyes. The dart spun forth, buried itself in the tender flesh of the slug-form. The alien started to turn, a pseudopod lashing around to clutch the dart in bewilderment, then it was toppling sideways off its snake-like locomotion tail and onto the ground, its eyes staring fixedly at nothing for a moment before fuzzy lids closed over them. This time he didn't close his eyes. The dart spun forth, buried itself in the tender flesh of the slug-form. The alien started to turn, a pseudopod lashing around to clutch the dart in bewilderment, then it was toppling sideways off its snake-like locomotion tail and onto the ground, its eyes staring fixedly at nothing for a moment before fuzzy lids closed over them.

It was like a game, really.

The slugs were like little cardboard targets, five feet high and relatively easy to hit. When you were on target, they fell over almost instantly. And the blue lights flashed almost as if in notice of a score.

The game neared its end. Six slugs remained standing, still oblivious to the eight unconscious comrades behind. Then Sam fired on the next closest of the gross creatures, caught it in the middle of the back. It bent convulsively, straightened to pluck the dart from itself, and toppled forward. Forward! It struck the slug in front of it a glancing blow. That slug turned to see what was the matter, saw the bodies, and sounded the alarm.

'Fan them now!' Coro hissed.

Sam swung the barrel of the rifle back and forth, not bothering to aim any longer.

Three more slugs toppled to the ground before they could swing their own weapons up.

Another dropped, four darts in its chest.

The two aliens operating the beam weapon swung it off the floater and toward the open meadow, playing the blue fire over the men's heads and setting the gra.s.s on fire behind them. Sam sighted on one of the remaining duo, but they both fell as Coro fanned a burst of darts and caught them in midsection.

The beam winked out.

'Hurry!' Coro snapped. 'They might have gotten a message back to their ship.'

They were up, running.

'The net!' Sam shouted.

Coro nodded. Together they hefted the heavy beam-projector, palmed what seemed to be the control panel. Blue light burst out of the nozzle, humming. Carefully, they sighted on the cables linking the net to magno-pegs, burning through the heavy strands. Eventually the net slid off the ball, pulled downward by its own weight. They dropped the weapon and ran up the ramp that had opened in the side of the floater to welcome them like the tongue of a favorite dog.

'Thank the stars!' Lotus said, coming into Coro's arms, her wings fluffed out and fluttering slightly, beautiful in the warm yellow light of the cabin. Sam felt as if he were intruding on something private. But after a few messy and misplaced kisses of joy, the two separated.

'Thought you'd never get here,' Crazy said, getting out of Coro's pilot seat and into his own chair. 'I have the floater ready. We better move, and fast. There's another detachment of those worms leaving the mother ship.'

They all turned to stare at the viewplate. A block of yellow light shone where a port had opened in the giant vessel's side. Coro climbed into his chair, keeping his eyes on the screen.

'Where to?' Sam asked as he crawled into his makeshift berth.

'Anywhere,' Lotus said, shivering with disgust. 'Anywhere that's not near those* those*'

'Agreed,' Coro said between clenched teeth.

The floater groaned, leaped. The screen showed a spinning night scene that tumbled and flopped as they moved across the forest, low to the tops of the trees and with full anti-radar gear in operation. As they moved, Coro and Sam tried to explain what they found.

'We have to go on to Hope,' Coro said finally.

'Easier said than accomplished,' Lotus noted. 'We don't have a starship.'

'Don't be so negativistic,' Coro said, smiling a thin smile that almost wasn't. 'We might have a ship. It is a small chance, but we just might be able to get one.'

IX.

Food-slugs as large as houses lay pulsating against the warm walls of the growth room, their pink skins glistening with moisture in the mist-laden air. Patches of white spotted the most bulbous portions of the giants, the areas of new flesh tender and undeveloped, as yet inedible. The smaller slug-forms tending them moved through the tremendous bulks in sanitary linen frocks, their pseudopods testing the toughness of skin near the connection junction where flesh of food-slug met nutrient tubes in the wall. They occasionally took small instruments out of pockets in the nightgown garments they wore, plunged them into the food-slugs and took readings as the cancerous ma.s.ses throbbed mindlessly, adding cell after cell after cell at a rate that was almost visible. The food deck stretched into the distance, filled to overflowing with the ponderous behemoths that neither thought nor felt nor moved nor laughed. But merely were. A team of butchers slithered down the main avenue between stalls. A forty-car train of magno-carts floated behind them. The butchers stopped at each food-slug that had grown beyond a mark on the floor that was used to make a quick judgment on their readiness. With precision, they used cauterizing lasers to slice huge steaks from the fleshy giants, hefting the fluid-oozing slabs onto the carts and moving ahead-tr.i.m.m.i.n.g, cutting, butchering for the great crew of Raceship. Raceship.

The reek of life fluids spilled was constantly sucked away by enormous ceiling fans, replaced by perfume-heavy air.

The Central Being examined the work in progress, watched as the skins of the cancerous slugs formed and covered the wounds the butchers had left, as skin on other food-slugs bulged and stretched and reformed to accommodate the ever-increasing supply of meat and fat. And the Central Being approved. This was fine. This was a goodness. And when the gargantuan steaks were spitted and roasted for the crew, when the fat dripped into the fire and sizzled and bloated the air with its fumes, then the crew would also see it as a goodness and would give thanks to the Central Being. This was the plan sliding on polished runners. Only briefly did the Central Being think of the annoying creatures in the floating ball. They were gone now and certainly not worth the bother of a protracted chase. Besides, within the day, the ship would be lifting and setting course for the world called Hope. The center of these creatures' empire. From there, destruction of this blasphemous species would be swift and most gratifying*

Food slugs as large as houses pulsated against the warm walls of the growth room, their pink skins glistening with moisture in the mist-laden air.

X.

'Just as I thought,' Coro said. 'They wouldn't destroy those.'

Beyond the safety fence was the vast expanse of concrete that was Chaplin-Alpha's s.p.a.ceport, and the tall, phallic starships, mute dragons making silent testimony to the greatness of the race that had built the city of Chaplin- Alpha.

The city that was now in ashes, Sam reminded himself. The city behind the rolling green hills. The rolling green hills that belied the horror the other-dimensional G.o.d and its slug-forms had wrought.

The aliens had left the starships untouched. In fact, some of the ships sported crews of slug-forms clinging like fleas on a dog's back. There were four slugs to each crew, and they seemed to be painting the hulls black to match the Raceship. Raceship. These vessels would not be large enough to serve as Spoorships, but they would do the slugs well for survey craft-and possibly as battleships against the race that had made them. These vessels would not be large enough to serve as Spoorships, but they would do the slugs well for survey craft-and possibly as battleships against the race that had made them.

Coro settled the floater behind the fence, into the shadows and the gra.s.s, cut all power and unstrapped himself. 'We just have to go get one.'

'How?' Lotus asked.

'We have dart guns. If we have just a little bit of luck besides, we'll have it made.'

'Without the luck?' Crazy asked.

'It's been a pleasant a.s.sociation,' Coro said, smiling another of his non-smiles.

Minutes later they stood before the fence, each carrying a rifle armed with a clip of forty drug darts. The darkness would only shield them for half a dozen feet beyond the fence. Then, once onto the concrete runway, they would be held in the glare of the triple polyarcs, small, clear targets on the sea of smooth, featureless grayness that offered no place for concealment.

'Now comes an unpleasant choice,' Coro said, hunkering down and staring through the chainlink.

'What?' Sam asked, getting down next to him.

'Do we take the nearest ship-which has a four-slug crew working on it? Or do we go to the next ship-which has no crew, but which is three times as far from us?'

'I don't like the slugs,' Crazy grumbled, shaking his ma.s.sive head, hair twirling madly for a moment.

'Neither do I,' Sam said. 'But we risk three times as much by going to the more distant ship. I opt for the closest vessel and the use of the drug darts.'

'Agreed,' Coro said. Then: 'Agreed?'

It was, and swiftly. With a hand-laser torch like the one they had used to cut through the hull of the Raceship, Raceship, they began work on the links of the safety fence. Within minutes they were through, hugging the shadows on the other side where they were thin and shallow. Ahead lay the runway, too bright for comfort. If there were only some cover, some little thing between here and the ship, some stopping point to catch breath. But there wasn't. they began work on the links of the safety fence. Within minutes they were through, hugging the shadows on the other side where they were thin and shallow. Ahead lay the runway, too bright for comfort. If there were only some cover, some little thing between here and the ship, some stopping point to catch breath. But there wasn't.

'Together,' Coro said. 'Run as fast as you can to the bottom of the ship, then stay with it like it was a lover, cause it offers at least a little bit of shade. From there, we can pick off the painting crew on the mobile scaffolding and use it to get to the portal. Ready? Move!'

Sam's lungs pounded as he raced across the concrete, gray swimming about him almost as if the deck were liquid, night air biting his cheeks and making them red. He wished he could move as fast as Lotus, but then she seemed to be just skimming the ground, flying more than she was running. He felt so small and so easily seen, naked on an endless plain of nightmare lights. But he couldn't let himself think about that-or about one of the aliens' beams picking him out and charring him into a smoldering, writhing ma.s.s of human flesh, spouting blood from ears and nose, eyes red with burst vessels. Those were not scenes to be imagined. Only run. Run, run, run until your chest is bursting and your legs are throbbing like footless stumps. Run, run*

But by expecting the worst, he felt spiritually exulted when they arrived at the bottom of the starship unharmed and apparently unnoticed. They stood, still together, with their backs pressed against the cold, cold metal of the hull, sweat on their backs seeming to turn to ice. Breaths pounded in and out of four sets of lungs. Four hearts thumped too fast.

'Carefully again,' Coro said between labored suckings of air.

Quietly, gently they moved along the base of the ship, sliding next to the scaffold wheels. The lace-work steel shot up eighty feet. At the top, spray guns blasted black paint onto the gleaming metal.

'Drop back and fire,' Coro said.

And they did. Darts spurted out of four guns, and the slugs slumped quickly under the hail of needles, dropping spray machines onto the platform beside them. But even the loud clunkings from this didn't seem to draw any unwanted attention.

'Up,' Coro said curtly, boarding the ramp of the scaffold and climbing quickly through the shadows of the metal piping.

At the top, they stepped over the slugs and reached the controls of the mobile scaffold. Coro experimented, found the proper operational procedure, and began moving them toward the main portal to the control cabin of the vessel. The machine hummed softly as it moved, a hum reminiscent of Racesong. They were almost to the portal when the beams burst bluely against the hull, announcing their loss of secrecy.

'Cover me!' Coro shouted, holding onto the controls.

The machine suddenly seemed to be moving so d.a.m.nably slow! Moving slowly toward a port that was abruptly so distant as to seem an impossible quest. The other three turned, kneeling on the platform. There was no cover for them up here, nothing to intercept the beams that flushed outward from the weapons of a block of guards racing across the port deck.

'Can't you move this thing any faster?' Lotus called.

'It's at top speed already,' Coro shouted. 'They didn't design it for racing!' A beam smashed inches above his head, pitting the thick metal of the starship.

'Dammit!' Lotus snapped, angry at the machine, herself, all of them for not being able to move faster.

Sam fired a few darts, saw that the slugs were still too far away. The darts dropped lazily, snapping against the concrete thirty yards short. He stopped and watched the advancing guards. There appeared to be an even dozen of them, rolling like snakes, their black and yellow uniform cloaks fluttering idiotically behind them. Costumed worms, Costumed worms, he thought. he thought. On their way to some ludicrous Halloween ball. On their way to some ludicrous Halloween ball. Their anterior segments gripped the concrete and thrust them on. Their pseudopods gripped the sleek, powerful-looking rifles that spat the blue beams. Their anterior segments gripped the concrete and thrust them on. Their pseudopods gripped the sleek, powerful-looking rifles that spat the blue beams.

'Just another minute!' Coro called.

There was a blue explosion next to Sam. He fell flat against the platform, hugging it as if he could melt into it by virtue of the heat of his fear. They're trying to kill me, They're trying to kill me, he thought. he thought. They are purposefully trying to blow off my head. They are purposefully trying to blow off my head. He clutched the dart gun, wanted to retch. The others fell flat and began shooting. The guards were close enough now, and they dropped almost as one as the first wave hit them. Seven fell with the initial round. The other five turned, abruptly anxious to seek cover, went down as the trio fanned them with darts. He clutched the dart gun, wanted to retch. The others fell flat and began shooting. The guards were close enough now, and they dropped almost as one as the first wave hit them. Seven fell with the initial round. The other five turned, abruptly anxious to seek cover, went down as the trio fanned them with darts.

Sirens wailed from the polyarcs. More slugs appeared between the ships that dotted the port deck. They rolled about, buzzing in confusion, then came to grips with the situation, armed themselves, and moved toward the starship with cold purpose.

Clunk! The scaffold jerked to a stop. 'Someone help me with this portal!' Coro shouted. The scaffold jerked to a stop. 'Someone help me with this portal!' Coro shouted.

Sam jumped and ran to the circular hatch. Together, they gripped the large primary handle, twisted it in the direction of a series of red arrows. When it clicked and could be moved no further, they turned to the second wheel and twisted it counterclockwise. The noise on the port deck below was much louder and much closer. A spatter of beams boiled over the plating, leaving shallow pits in the ship's thick hide.