Joe spoke urgently but quietly to the man with the light fixed in his eyes. The Indian's voice was low, controlled, almost kindly. "The summons was for Napoleon Solo. The summons was for Napoleon Solo."
Solo watched Joe, fascinated. He forgot the misdelivered summons. This didn't seem very important right now. He was seeing one of Nesbitt's mindless slaves being programmed, by light. The programming was much like that done to computers, Solo thought, except that the computers' were memory tapes and transistors, and here the scientist was dealing with a man driven mindless by some sort of exquisite torture.
FIVE
THE INDIAN assistant moved toward Napoleon Solo. The man's dark face was impassive.
"We've come for the girl," Joe said.
Solo flinched, looking down at Bikini's dark head pressed on his shoulder. She was deeply asleep. She had been able to relax because she trusted him. She felt secure in his arms, even in this place.
"She's asleep," Solo said, his chilled voice warning Joe flatly to keep his hands off of her. The Indian merely smiled coldly, spoke sharply, and the two guards entered, armed with small rifles. They stood ready at Joe's side.
"You'll still have to take her," Solo said.
The Indian bent forward, catching Bikini's arm. He shook her. The girl came awake slowly, protesting.
Solo set himself. Joe shook Bikini again, lifted her. As Joe rose, Solo came up on the balls of his feet. His fist caught Joe on the jaw, staggering him.
He released his hold on Bikini and fell backwards. He struck hard against the glass wall. It trembled under his weight.
Beyond the glass the huge leaves and thick limbs quivered, set into motion by the vibration.
Solo came up, moving, crouched toward Joe.
A rifle butt caught Solo in the forehead. Bikini screamed,
Solo staggered, his legs buckling under him. He landed on his knees. Vaguely, he saw Joe pull himself up, shake his head and then order the guards out of the cell with the girl.
Solo saw it as if from a great distance, and he knew Bikini was screaming, but he could barely hear her.
The guards half-dragged Bikini to the corridor entrance of Hothouse One. Behind them, Joe tested his jaw, his face twisted.
The guards thrust open the doors. The giant plants inside set up a rustling, waving motion at the movement.
"Inside," Joe ordered.
Bikini shook her head, staring wide-eyed at the long writhing green tentacles, the huge crying leaves.
Joe jerked his head. The guards caught Bikini's arms, thrusting her through the door.
Bikini toppled on the walkway. She sprang to her feet and ran to the doors. They were closed in her face. She beat against them.
The sound set up a wild reaction among the plants. The snake-like limbs reached out, the leaves waved, the thick trunks seemed to quiver.
Bikini pressed against the door, staring in awe at the giant green plants.
From an intercom Dr. Nesbitt's voice seemed to fill the room, setting the plants in violent motion again.
"You must fight to live, my dear. You don't have a chance. As you see, some of the walks are wide. Some are almost grown over. But the wide ones are open only be cause the plants are pulled back. Any movement in them and the plants will crowd in, reaching out, even growing in the direction of the sound. It's the way they live, my dear."
Bikini pressed her fist over her mouth to keep from crying out.
"Perhaps if you run, my dear," Nesbitt's voice suggested. "Run. You may find a place to run. You may break free from their tentacles. You must offer some challenge to the plants, my dear, or your unfortunate death will serve no useful purpose."
Suddenly Bikini screamed.
As Nesbitt had talked, long green tentacles had struck against the walls, holding as if with suction cups, and now reached out swiftly toward her.
They approached from both sides of the door.
"You're not safe there, my dear," Nesbitt's voice taunted. "I suggest you run."
Bikini did not move. Petrified with fear, she remained pressed against the door until the slimy, serpent-like tentacles clapped against her arms from both sides.
Screaming, she broke free and ran again.
Ahead of her the center aisle seemed wide and clear. But as she ran along it, the motion of her body stirred the plants on each side into frantic action. Trunks bent, leaves shook and tentacle limbs grasped out.
A huge arm-like limb struck her across the head and sent her reeling.
Toppling to the floor, Bikini slid along it. She remained there stunned for only a few moments, but smaller limbs, nearer the ground, sprang out, clutching at her legs, arms, dress.
"Run. Run. Run." Nesbitt's voice commanded loudly from the intercom speakers.
Bikini leaped. She realized in sudden horror that Nesbitt was like a cat playing with a mouse. When he shouted at her to run, it wasn't advice he was interested in. His voice, any sound, caused violent reactions in the plants so that they swung out, reaching toward the sound. And when she moved, this activated them even more violently.
She ran a few steps. Tentacles struck out like snakes. One closed about her throat. She caught at it, tearing it free.
Her movement brought newer limbs grabbing at her. In horror Bikini screamed, and more bushes leaned toward her, closing in upon her.
She broke free, falling away from the writhing tentacles.
She stumbled and fell to the floor on a narrow walk. The plants near her trembled, sending out eager feelers.
Holding her breath, she inched forward, and the bushes quieted behind her.
The exhausted girl laughed, on the verge of hysteria. Plants reacted, snagging at her. She lay still for some moments. The plants quieted.
When Nesbitt spoke over the intercom, they roused again, but seemed to subside.
She told herself she must lie unmoving where she was. These plants reacted to noise, lay quiescent in silence.
She lay still. For some moment nothing happened. From the intercom, Nesbitt spoke, his voice loud, taunting.
The plants quivered, rustling, unfurling long green limbs.
Bikini remained unmoving. She drew only shallow breaths. Perspiration stood on her forehead, burned into her eyes, but she did not stir, even to wipe it away.
She wanted to laugh in exhausted triumph. But she made no sound. The plants around her seemed quieted. They barely stirred, even when Nesbitt's voice rattled the intercom.
She did not know how long she could remain in this position., but she was alive, and this was all Bikini was thinking about.
Suddenly she screamed, the sound spewing from her.
She lunged upward to find green branches closed on her ankles and her legs, like ropes.
Bikini fought wildly at the limbs, breaking free. But her movement set the nearest plants in wild motion.
She leaped to her feet, trembling, and stared quickly around, her face rigid.
Then she ran, fighting the limbs around her.
Dr. Nesbitt's voice taunted her. "That's better, my dear. That's the kind of challenge that's worth while. Run, girl, run!"
ACT IV—INCIDENT OF THE TRIAL BY LIGHT
SOLO WAS LED into the circular, fantastically illuminated room by two guards.
They pointed to a bare, highly polished table, told him to sit on it. When he did they stood at attention at his side.