«Garvish is—»
«Unclaimed territory,» said Alak coldly. «If Ulugan can take over Tukatan against the natives’ will, the League can surely annex an uninhabited planet.»
«You are within ten light-years of Tumu. My government must regard this as an unfriendly act.»
«Well,» said Alak, «your government hasn’t been exactly friendly toward us, you know. We’re just taking precautions.»
«This is an ultimatum,» said Sevulan. «If the subspace radio would reach so far, we would call the League secretariat directly, to give it. As it is, I am delivering it to you. If you do not evacuate Garvish at once, Ulugan will consider your aggression a cause for war.»
«Now look—» began Alak.
«A task force is on its way to force your evacuation, if you will not go peacefully,» said Sevulan. «Take your choice.»
Weakness flitted across Alak’s well-trained features. «I… I am really not given such responsibility,» he said slowly. «You must allow me time to communicate with my government—»
«No!»
«Well—»
«You have my message,» said Sevulan. The screen blanked.
Alak stood up, hugged his aide, and danced around the shack.
Hurulta the Arkazhik leaned over his desk as if he meant to attack Sevulan. Then, slowly, his great fists unclenched and he sat back.
«They were gone, you say?» he repeated.
«Yes, lord,» said the general. «When our task force landed, the planet—the whole system—was abandoned. Obviously they took fright when they realized our determination.»
«But where did they go?»
Sevulan permitted himself a shrug. «A light-year is too big to imagine,» he said. «They could be anywhere, lord. My best guess is, though, that they are running home with their tails between their legs.»
«Still—to abandon a base which must have cost an enormous effort and sum to start—»
«Yes, lord, it was astonishingly far advanced. They must have employed some life-form adapted to Garvish II conditions as workers. They do have that advantage: among their citizens, they can always find a species which is at home on any possible world.» Sevulan smiled. «I suggest, lord, that we complete the base ourselves and use it, since they were obliging enough to do all the real labor.»
Hurulta stroked his massive chin. «We have no choice,» he said thinly. «If we don’t hold that system, they may come back any time—and it is dangerously close to our home, and as you say their men can function better there than ours.» He muttered an oath. «It’s a nuisance. We need most of our forces to complete the conquest of Tukatan in a swift and orderly manner. But there’s no help for it.»
«We were going to take Garvish eventually, lord,» said Sevulan respectfully.
«Yes, yes, of course. Take this whole cluster—and after that, who knows how much more? Still—» Being a realist, Hurulta dismissed his own annoyance. «As you say, this will save us time and money in the long run.»
«I—»
Sevulan was interrupted by the buzzing of the official telescreen. Hurulta switched it on. «Yes?» he growled.
«General Ulanho of Central Intelligence reporting, lord.»
«I know who you are. What is it?»
«Scout just came in, lord. The Patrol is on Shang V. Apparently they’re building another base.»
«Shang V—»
«Twelve-point-three light-years from here, lord.»
«I know that! Stand by.» Hurulta switched off again. There was something of a giant dynamo about him as he swung on Sevulan.
«What sort of planet is this Shang V?» he snarled.
«Little known, lord,» faltered the officer. «A big world, as I recall. Twice our gravity, mostly hydrogen atmosphere—storms of unparalleled violence, volcanic upheavals, a hell planet! I don’t see how they would dare—»
«They must be relying on sheer audacity,» snapped Hurulta. «Well, they won’t get away with it! No ultimatum this time—no message of any kind. You will organize a task force to go there at once and blow them off it!»
The Arkazhik was in an ugly mood, and his subordinates tried to make themselves invisible as he stamped past them. But then, the whole planet was foul-tempered and jumpy. The Garvish and Shang operations had been—still were—messy and costly enterprises which completely disrupted the schedule for Tukatan. That the Patrol fleet had been gone when the Ulugani arrived at Shang, saving them a battle, was small consolation, for it meant that the enemy was still at large, he could strike anywhere, any time, bringing death and ruin out of the big spaces. That meant an elaborate warning system around Tumu, tying up hundreds of thousands of trained spacemen; it meant the inconveniences of civilian defense, force-screens over all cities, transportation slowed, space-raid drills, spy scares, nervousness among the commoners that was not far from exploding into hysteria. It meant that the unrewarding Shang System must also be garrisoned, lest the Patrol sneak back there. It meant irritation, delay, expense, and a turbulent cabinet meeting in which Hurulta had needed all his personality to control the dissatisfied members.
He took a grav-shaft now, dropping through many levels to a corridor hewn out of the rock below the capitol. Along this he stalked, the boots of his guards slamming a hollow rhythm back from the walls, until he came to a certain door. This he entered, to find a colonel of Intelligence seated among his instruments. The colonel bowed low. The little being in the chair merely cowered.
«What planet is this from?» grunted Hurulta. «Nobody told me that.»
The small one spoke up in a fluting voice that could not hide his terror. He was a skinny, four-armed, greenish being, with a bulging-eyed head that seemed too big for his body. «Please, lord, I am from—»
«I didn’t ask you,» barked Hurulta, snapping at him. The oversized head rocked back on the spindling neck, and the prisoner began to cry. «Well?»
«From Aldebaran VIII, lord,» said the colonel. «A League planet. His name is Goln, and he is a trader who has operated in this sector for a number of years. We pulled him in, together with all other aliens, according to your orders, lord, two days ago. No physical duress was necessary—in panic, he submitted to the usual truth-finding procedures. It turned out that he is a Patrol agent.»
«That much I have already been told,» snorted Hurulta. «What of it? Why should that concern me? He hasn’t learned anything of value, has he?»
«No, lord, not about us. He was a trader too, as he claimed. He merely reported to Wing Alak from time to time, telling him whatever he had learned anywhere. Under our questioning, he revealed a distinct impression that Alak is interested in Umung.»
«Umung… hm-m-m-… the insectiles, aren’t they? About thirty light-years off, on the edge of our cluster.»
«Yes, lord. He has traded with them for many years. They are a completely organized race, with little individual personality, but the collective intelligence is high. They are also, perhaps, the most skillful workers in the galaxy.»
«Yes. It comes back to me now. Did Alak intend to organize them against us?»
«Not as far as this Goln knows, lord. They are totally unwarlike, have too little initiative to make good soldiers. Goln’s impression is that the Patrol would like to deal with them, secretly, trading raw materials difficult to obtain on their world for finished products. That would, obviously, simplify the enemy supply problem.»
«So… it… would.» Hurulta stood in thought for a moment. Then, whirling on Goln, he made his voice a roar: «All right, scum, how well do you know Umung?»
The Aldebaranian shrieked in utter panic. When he found his voice again, he gasped: «Well, most excellent lord. I know it w-w-well—»
«You’ll obey us and be rewarded, or you’ll be pulled apart cell by cell. Which shall it be?»