For Lieutenant Becker paid not the slightest heed to Bell's commands.

The first shot swept close above the heads of the little group and its impact and heat reduced to one clump of molten metal a guard robot who had unconcernedly been making his rounds a few yards further back.

"The supermutant's power is greater than that of our psycho-ray," remarked Rhodan calmly. He had in the meantime completed his preparations and was squatting, ready for action, beside the rim of the sheltered concrete dug out. At any moment he could quickly duck into this shelter, if he would deem it necessary. The five officers had already taken cover in the bunker. They had radioed to their men who were dispersed in the area to await further orders and under no circ.u.mstances to open fire on the mutineers.

Bell tried his luck again. He directed the hypo-beam once more at Becker's men, issued a second command which was ignored just like the first. The situation grew critical. For now three neutron cannons blasted away at the nearest s.p.a.ceship a.s.sembly hails.

It was then that Rhodan realized that he would be unable to defeat the supermutant's hypnotic powers with mental weapons. Only brute force could overcome his influence on Becker's group. Rhodan pointed the objective of the gravity neutralizer toward the mutineers. He released the activating switch.

The effective range of the instrument was fanshaped, beginning directly in front of it and spreading out in the direction of the opponent, its efficiency diminishing with distance. Its efficacy however was still sufficient to render Becker, his men and all their equipment weightless.

Sergeant Harras was just putting one foot in front of the other, most unwillingly since he saw no valid reason for doing so, when suddenly he became detached from the ground. He was gently floating upward while slowly spinning like a top. Fear-struck, he let go of his weapon but it did not drop to the ground, rather it remained constantly at the same height as himself.

Harras' fate was shared by all the others of his group. Lieutenant Becker, who leapt across to one of the cannons, was hardest hit by the sudden loss of gravity. Like a human missile he shot diagonally up into the clear desert sky, flailing his arms and legs desperately trying in vain to grab ahold of something in the empty air. Unfortunately, Rhodan was unable to continue observing his flight. The unlucky lieutenant pa.s.sed shortly beyond the effective range of the neutralizer and plummeted like a stone to the ground. He was the sole victim of the attack that had been forced upon him, apart from the three drivers and three gunners riding in the armoured tanks which had been destroyed earlier by the robots.

Almost the entire fighting forces under Lieutenant Becker's command were now hovering high up in the air. They a.s.sumed various positions depending on the respective movements with which they had become detached from the ground when they were rendered weightless. Since however the Arkonide instrument's range was not unlimited it was imperative to act now in order to prevent any additional accidents and fatalities.

Rhodan turned to the officers who had followed the entire procedure utterly dumbfounded and delighted. "I'm now diminishing the intensity of the neutralizer. Send your men out to capture the airborne company as they will be landing again on firm ground. Have your men move with extreme caution across the terrain-it's subject to only one-tenth normal gravity. Watch out for Becker's fighting tanks as they come down. If necessary you'll have to render their gunners harmless."

It was amazing how fast the officers recovered from their state of perplexity. It took hardly a few minutes for them to mobilize their soldiers, who then proceeded to very slowly advance with peculiar, slinking steps toward the slowly sinking figures who helplessly were fidgeting in the air, struck with horror. Most had simply released their grip on their weapons and thus no longer presented any danger.

Gradually Rhodan reinstated normal conditions of gravity and then waited until the mutineering company had been subdued. He had meanwhile taken the beamer from Bell's hand and screened the soldiers against any further hypnotic commands emanating from the master enemy mutant. He sensed instinctively that such a screening-off was entirely possible while the Arkonide instrument was ineffective to pierce through a hypnotic block once it had been placed in a victim.

Hardly five minutes pa.s.sed and the supermutant withdrew.

Sergeant Harras felt all of a sudden how the pressure in his head was getting weaker and finally leaving him completely. At first he couldn't understand where he was, he thought he was still lying at the bottom of the swimming pool and was most startled to peer suddenly into the threatening orifices of guns pointed at him. Rhodan in person explained what had happened to Harras and his comrades. He also pointed out to them that this mysterious incident might. repeat itself at any time. Since however they didn't expect any armed attack from the outside, the weapons in the hands of the guards were to be reduced to a bare minimum.

Not far from them, off to one side, lay the motionless figure of Lieutenant Becker. Bell threw a glance in that direction and with a sombre face, murmured: "That's the ninth victim already today, Perry. It's time to undertake some decisive action."

Rhodan did not reply. Silently they drove back to Terrania, where some more bad news awaited them. Major Freyt had received a message from New York where the financial genius of the New Power, Homer G. Adams, had his headquarters. From there the mutant with the eidetic memory extended his network of influence, ruling the economies of the whole world. Homer seemed to be infallible and had never made a wrong decision. At least not as long as there hadn't been the supermutant. The first attacks of the unknown enemy had been warded off without irreparable damage but Perry Rhodan had taken preventive measures and had sent little Betty Toufry to protect his financial genius. Betty was the most powerful telepath and telekineticist in Rhodan's mutant corps.

And the alarming report had been sent by her.

As earlier, Homer G. Adams seemed to have become affected by the mutant master's sinister influence. Homer's latest financial deals obviously lacked common-sense and would have been disastrous for the General Cosmic Company.

At the last minute Betty succeeded in cancelling his business dispositions by applying her psychobeamer. As long as she remained in Adams' presence he was safe from outside hypnotic influences but she could not accompany him day and night wherever he went.

Rhodan at once established communication with the General Cosmic Company. The picture of an embarra.s.sed Homer G. Adams came onto the screen. He was a rather short man, his thin hair for ever looking dishevelled, and now he made the impression of having spent a few nights without sleep. Betty Toufry sat in the background. She too looked extremely tired.

"h.e.l.lo, Adams," began Perry Rhodan as if New York were only a few miles distant and not halfway around the world. "I was told you've experienced some difficulties again." Adams attempted to answer but Rhodan did not wish to be interrupted. "You needn't apologize, Mr. Adams. We've lately been through similar trouble here ourselves. The power of our opponent extends over the whole globe. There's one thing I'd like to know from you. Could you tell when the influence begins to make itself felt?"

Adams slowly nodded his head. "Yes, I first notice a pressure in my head but by then it is already too late. If little Betty hadn't been near me I really don't know what would have happened. I'm very sorry about this but I don't think you can count on me from now on. I'm no longer a reliable help to you."

Nonsense, Adams, don't say that. Remain pa.s.sive until you receive further instructions from me. Avoid any important business deals in the next few days. And the moment the enemy exposes himself in the slightest way-and I believe this is inevitable-we'll be ready to strike."

"I hope this'll happen soon. I a.s.sure you it's most unpleasant to be constantly threatened with loss of control of your five senses."

Rhodan smiled at him rea.s.suringly and cut off the connection.

But the moment Adams' image had disappeared from the screen, Rhodan's smile also vanished.

There was nothing extraordinary in Fellmer Lloyd's appearance, he looked like the typical man next door. Many years ago he had worked in an atomic power station as a.s.sistant to the chief scientist. But then he had been tracked down and discovered by Rhodan's agents.

For Fellmer Lloyd was a natural mutant.

He could not accurately be described as a genuine telepath but his abilities closely resembled those of the true mind readers. A part of his brain had undergone changes due to the radiation his parents had been exposed to. As a consequence he was at any time in a position to absorb the brain-wave patterns of other people around him, sort them out and a.n.a.lyse them. He couldn't read their thoughts but he could recognize their basic emotions and consequently more or less judge their intentions. when talking to another person he knew at once if he was friend or enemy. He used this talent by working as a 'spotter' for the mutant corps.

Fellmer Lloyd was standing inconspicuously near the exit barrier of the Moscow airport, scanning attentively the departing and arriving pa.s.sengers of the regularly scheduled jet plane. This plane was one of the pa.s.senger crafts that daily commuted between the New Power and the various continents of the world. This airline was sponsored by the New Power.

Only last week two of these machines had been destroyed in midair by an act of sabotage. The Ministry of Security of the New Power had therefore deployed some mutants in order to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.

Fellmer Lloyd was one of the mutants who had been charged with this mission. He was flying from continent to continent, cautiously probing all the pa.s.sengers' brain-wave pattern, endeavouring to make sure that no saboteur would slip aboard.

He hadn't yet made up his mind whether he should leave again the capital city of the Eastern Bloc on this particular flight. He liked Moscow; he had made friends here. Everybody seemed so pleasant and kind that he didn't like the idea of departing so soon.

Only superficially he checked out the elegant couple that was just pa.s.sing through the barrier and then proceeded to cross the asphalt strip leading to the jet plane. Probably some newly-weds starting out on their honeymoon. Harmless, in any case, he quickly stated.

In the background he saw the roofs of the city, glittering in the light of the setting sun. Towering sky-sc.r.a.pers reared up into the clear sky, trying to gather the last rays of the setting sun. The broad freeway leading from the city to the airport was brightly illuminated. There was dense traffic.

Fellmer Lloyd suddenly was startled out of his contemplation of that peaceful evening scene. From somewhere surged something evil. Somebody was thinking of violence and caution, murder and death.

The range of his mind-searching ability was not very extensive, only a few hundred yards. But judging by the intensity of the brain-waves that were overwhelming him, they must originate in his immediate vicinity.

Hastily he looked around.

People were standing in little groups all about. They were talking to each other, saying goodbye, embracing and waving a last greeting. A young lady with unusually pretty legs was striding with determined steps across the barrier and the waiting machine. She carried a large. brown leather bag in her hand. Over to the left, Fellmer Lloyd noticed a policeman who attentively was scanning the crowd.

Lloyd's glance returned to the young lady. His brain was now registering stronger impressions. Yes, indeed, these violent thoughts emanated from her; no doubt. For a moment the mutant believed he had been mistaken but he knew he could trust his sense of orientation.

Cautiously he set himself in motion, walking behind the young lady. She was wearing a modern suit and gave the impression of being the sports type. Her gait was elastic, almost soft.

Three minutes before take-off.

He walked up the gangway and saw how the young lady presented her ticket and the number of her seat to the stewardess. Then she went inside the plane. Lloyd followed her. He showed his ident.i.ty card to the stewardess; that was enough to let him aboard. The stewardess a.s.signed him the seat diagonally across from the young lady.

The thoughts of something horrible became weaker now and finally gave way to a sense of security. Lloyd knew then for sure that there was no threat of immediate danger. But he also knew that he mustn't let this pretty young lady out of his sight, not even for a moment, during the entire flight.

She seemed to be about 25 years old, was slender and had dark brown hair. Her somewhat narrow eyes lent her oval face a special charm and Lloyd had trouble realizing that she could be an agent of the unknown supermutant. Perhaps all of this was nothing but a mere coincidence.

The plane took off, pursuing the setting sun. They flew at such speed that the sun was still standing at the same height in the horizon when they landed at the airport at Berlin-Tempelhof.

Lloyd was suddenly flooded by a wave of excitement coming from the young girl as she rose from her seat and walked to the exit door of the plane. The plane had stopped close to the big customs shed.

Fellmer got up and tried not to let his victim out of his sight. Her brain-wave pattern had become so intensified that Fellmer felt it almost unbearable. Painfully these patterns surged into his awareness and aroused in him the urgent sensation of imminent danger.

She had walked down the gangway and was now hurrying toward the barrier. She held her ticket in her hand. Apparently she had no hand luggage.

No hand luggage?

Lloyd felt for a moment as if somebody had poured a bucket full of boiling water over his back. Luggage?

He realized now what had happened. The young lady carried no luggage therefore she must have left her brown leather bag on the plane.

Lloyd abruptly made an about-face and ran back to the plane. He pushed his way through the exiting pa.s.sengers, paying no attention to their infuriated protesting voices, and raced to the place where the suspect had been sitting.

Her leather bag was still underneath her seat.

He picked it up with one swoop and raced back to the exit. He looked around, trying to locate her; afraid that he might have lost her. He ran out of the building and saw the owner of the bag just trying to hail a taxi. Lloyd monitored again her confused thought pattern, into which now again feelings of insecurity had crept. Should she not really be convinced that what she had been doing was really the right thing?

Bounding forward he arrived at the taxi just in tine, flung open the door and jumped in. He peered directly into the wide open, horrified eyes of the young girl, that were not at all interested in the intruder but only in the leather bag he was holding in his hand.

"Young lady," began Lloyd, groaning with exhaustion, "are you in a hurry! You forgot your bag on the plane."

She examined his face with a searching glance, then fear flitted across her features. She quickly reached into her suit pocket and pulled out a snub-nosed revolver. But Lloyd had already been alerted by a corresponding brain-wave pattern change from the young lady. He quickly disarmed her.

"But my dear young lady," he warned gently. "I have only your best interests at heart..."

"You are lying." She shook her head. She spoke English with a strong Russian accent. You've been following me ever since Moscow. Do you really believe I didn't notice?"

"You can read minds?"

She hesitated for a moment then replied: "Yes, I'm a telepath."

For an instant Lloyd was disappointed and even frightened. How should he handle a person who could guess even his innermost thoughts? But then he shrugged his shoulders.

"Alright, then we needn't pretend. Let's be frank with each other. You were under orders from the supermutant to sabotage the airlines of the New Power. There's a time bomb ticking away in your leather bag. You set the mechanism and left the bomb on the plane. Between Berlin and London the bomb would have exploded. Did I guess right?"

She looked him up and down with a scornful glance. "So what?"

"In this case Perry Rhodan would be most interested to have a talk with you."

A shadow flitted across her pretty face. "I'm not in the least interested in having a talk with a traitor of all mankind. You can tell him that from me. By the way, if I were you I'd take care to get rid of that bag over there. It contains explosives powerful enough to send the two of us sky high. I'm the only one who knows when it is set to go off."

"As long as you are with me and don't show any signs of apprehension, I know nothing will happen," countered Lloyd with satisfied logic. He leaned forward and pushed aside the gla.s.s part.i.tion. "Driver, take us back to the airport." He closed the gla.s.s part.i.tion and turned to his prisoner. "It's time we got to know each other. Since you already are familiar with my name, of course, may I ask what yours is?"

"Tatjana Michalowna," she answered in a defiant tone. He sensed clearly that she wasn't lying. "But that's all you'll find out from me."

"Believe me, that won't work with Perry Rhodan and his mutants," he a.s.sured her, smiling sarcastically. He was satisfied to note that she now seemed frightened. "I've a fast jet waiting at the airport. We'll be in Terrania in a short while."

She remained silent. Her eyes were resting thoughtfully on her brown leather bag, which sat on the floor next to Lloyd. He noticed her glance and smiled. "Don't worry, my dear. Somewhere in Siberia that explosion won't harm anybody. Years ago they were used to much bigger ones than that thing you brought."

Stubbornly, she still didn't utter a word.

The mental duel between John Marshall and Tatjana Michalowna lasted only a short tine. Then the Russian girl knew that it made no sense for her to continue lying. In addition to that there was another factor she had not counted on: Perry Rhodan.

With a halting voice she began to speak. "Like the majority of mankind I was sceptical toward the New Power. For me you were a traitor, Mr. Rhodan, for you entered into an alliance with extraterrestrial life forms and strove to rule the whole world. I admit you prevented the atom war between the East and the West but this didn't ent.i.tle you to force a development on us which is progressing too fast and throws us out of our prescribed path. We would have managed very well without you in our goal of uniting this world."

"I'm convinced of that," retorted Rhodan with a mischievous smile, "but you'd have done the uniting in your own way. I preferred mine. Any objections?"

"Certainly. In any case, one day I met a man in whose mind I could detect an agreement with my own thoughts regarding you. He too condemned the New Power and desired peace. Our peace. I got in touch with him and since he had no idea of my telepathic gifts I found out everything. Another power has come into being, a purely human power, which has nothing to do with the Arkonides or any other galactic races. The mutant master's policy is concerned exclusively with Earthly affairs and not galactic interests."

"Very narrow-minded," said Rhodan. "But, please, go on."

"I joined the supermutant and his forces," she continued. "His fight is just, for it is directed against something that is alien to human nature and will forever remain so."

"That same xenophobia was once typical of all the small European nations who used to believe that the culture of their neighbouring countries was inferior and that therefore they could never be united and live in peace with each other," interjected Perry Rhodan. "And today they are united!"

"This was a natural process, no artificial union..."

"Don't say that. They were helped along on that path."

"Nevertheless..."

"There is no difference. Mankind had to learn that it is not the only intelligent life in the universe. Should mankind remain in isolation in order to one day become the victim of a hostile invader's surprise attack? Or isn't it better to adjust to your surroundings? That's all we are really doing! Only a united Earth, with a strong leadership, will not fail to join up with the rest of the galactic civilizations-on a par with them. Not too long ago, such developments seemed to lie in the very remote future for mankind; they were looked upon like the wild dreams fantasy writers. But today it has become reality. We must make the decision-and many have done so already. There's nothing even a supermutant can do about that."

"He doesn't intend to but he is against you as the sole ruler."

Rhodan smiled and quickly glanced at Marshall. "If I had wanted to be the sole ruler of mankind I could have done so a long time ago. You surely must admit that."

She was hesitant. "It's true. Why didn't you do it, then?"

"Because it didn't matter to me. Peace-loving people should see to it that there is order but they should never attempt to rule and force their will on others."

"Do you consider yourself the policing force of this globe, or even the Peacelord of the universe?"

"In a way. But we are mainly trying to pave the way for a better understanding among the nations of this Earth and a peaceful existence with the rest of intelligent life all over the universe.

She did not answer but it was obvious that she was pondering what she had just heard. John Marshall the telepath said suddenly: "How come I can't always receive your thoughts? I've never before encountered anyone who could conceal their thoughts from me."

"Well, you've met one now," smiled Tatjana superciliously. "Besides being a telepath I've another talent which is not as generally well-known as I used to a.s.sume. I can erect a shield against any strange influence; maybe this causes at the same time my thoughts to be screened off so that not even another esper can penetrate through this barrier."

"Are you capable of protecting yourself against foreign influences?" asked Rhodan with great interest. "Do you find this necessary? There are only very few people who are hypnos."

"The mutant master is a hypno," said Tatjana emphatically.

Rhodan had a good long look at her before he continued. "And you are able to ward off his remote hypnotic control over you?"