However old it was, most of the alien technology seemed to be in excellent condition. Though fragments littered the ground, there was no evidence of extensive degeneration within the metal or ceramics themselves.
While they couldn’t give a date to the installation or a name to its builders, they could determine the composition of the materials used. In addition to iridium, Etienne noted the presence of two dozen alloys that defied chemical and spectroscopic analysis, including one thin metallic whip that the computer insisted was an alloy of metallic sodium, despite the fact that in the damp air of the cavern there wasn’t the slightest evidence of oxidation on its shiny surface. When they dipped it in the river and nothing happened, the Redowls thought they could hear Homat’s beloved spirits move a little closer.
Much of the spirit boat was still strange to Tyl, and he was having trouble finding the fresh lightning pack that Lyra called a battery cell. He rummaged carefully through the storage bay, trying to disturb as little as possible. A noise overhead caused him to pause.
Curious, the Tsla climbed the walkway. His snout was extended, the tip probing the air. The sounds drew him up from the hull, through the second deck and onto the upper. He walked past the humans’ sleeping quarters, past the place of food they called the galley, until he was standing in the passage that opened into the open bubble of the cockpit. He stared for a long moment before speaking.
“What do thee here, Mai?”
Startled, Homat spun around. When he saw who confronted him he relaxed. “I am simply curious. We Mai are always curious about new things.”
Tyl gestured with his snout, a mildly insulting display. “Thee should be outside helping our friends.”
“I know, I know. I’ll be there again soon. But it’s so cold out there, so cold.” He shivered.
“I am cold outside also, but the coldness is settling now inside me.”
“I don’t understand you, meditator.”
“Thee linger too long and too frequently over the important places of this craft. For several days now I have noticed this. Thee have always stared as our friends worked here, but never more so since the attack by the Na. I think that this interest has escaped the attention of our friends, who though sophisticated in many ways are childishly naive in others. They are preoccupied with their study of our world and ways. But I am not so occupied, nor so naive. This unnatural interest of thee must be remarked upon.” He turned to leave.
“Stop there, meditator!” The chill had suddenly slipped from Homat’s body into his voice.
Slowly Tyl turned. His gaze fell to the device the Mai clutched firmly in his left hand. It was heavy for the six-fingered grip and Homat had to support part of it with his other hand. But the correct end was pointed at Tyl. He had seen the device in operation often enough to know that much.
“Mai,” he whispered, managing to combine a whole paragraph of insults into the inflection he wrapped around that single noun.
Homat was neither impressed nor intimidated. The Tsla usually overawed the Mai, but not him, not Homat. The hairy ones were bigger and stronger, but not necessarily smarter. No, size was no indication of intelligence, as he fully planned to prove.
“Do you know what this is?” he said, enjoying himself thoroughly as he gestured with the device he held. “This is the humans’ lightning thrower. I have seen it operate many times. It may be difficult to build, but it is very simple to use.” He pointed toward the clip holsters attached to the lower part of the control console.
“They sit there in their little homes, drawing strength from the spirit world until they are ready to serve the humans. These spirits are stupid. They do not respond to sacrifices or prayers or offerings, but will serve any who learn the rituals of operation. I have made an extensive study of such rituals these past many months.”
“To what end?” Tyl inquired softly even as he estimated the distance between them.
“You have seen the sunit that sleeps here, and the other metals. Enough wealth to buy half the world.”
“I am sure,” Tyl said carefully, “that the humans would not object to thee returning with enough of the gray metal to make thee wealthy until thy passing.”
“I’m sure they would allow me to bring a small amount, but not any more than would interfere with the plain rocks de-Etienne has already collected, for example. Why should I bow and scrape for a beggar’s pouchful when I can have all that the spirit boat can carry?” He produced a thin Mai smile. “I can have the spirit boat itself. The sunit will make me master of Mai. This vessel can make me master of the Groalamasan.”
Tyl’s initial anger dissolved into sadness and pity. “Poor Mai. Thy dreams are so much larger than thy body.”
“Are they?” said Homat hoarsely. “I planned to wait, but you push me toward delightment. The Tsla have always pushed the Mai. In the end we will overwhelm you. See, how simple the humans’ spirit devices are to work? You just touch this little round thing here …”
Etienne looked up from the base of the metallic mass he was studying, using the crutch Lyra had fashioned for him from a scoop net, and glanced back toward the boat. The glare from the two powerful spotlights made him squint.
“Did you hear something, hon?”
Lyra lifted her eyes from her work. She was trying to decide if some scratches they’d discovered on one wall might be writing. “Hear what?”
“The boat. I thought I heard something arc.”
She shrugged. “Missed my ears.”
He thought a moment, glanced to his right. “Yulour. Did thee hear anything from the spirit boat?”
The patient Tsla was sitting on the ground, playing with some colored stones. “I heard nothing, Teacher.”
Just then Etienne saw a shape approaching them. “Here’s Homat. Maybe he heard something.”
Lyra returned to her studies and Etienne waited until their guide emerged from the glare. “Homat, you were near the boat. Did you hear something?”
“Yes, Etienne.” He sounded odd, Etienne thought, though he couldn’t define the difference. “I heard. It was your lightning thrower dealing spirits.”
Lyra heard that, slowly rose from where she’d been sitting.
Etienne spoke precisely. “The lightning thrower? You mean it went off? How did that happen?”
“The way it always happens.” The Mai was careful to keep his distance from Etienne, despite the severity of the man’s injury. He removed the pistol from the pocket of his thermal suit. Etienne stiffened and Lyra backed toward the metal wall behind her.
“It happened,” Homat continued, his confidence starting to build, “when I touched this place you call the trigger. I touched it and called upon the lightning spirits. I, Homat, did this.”
Etienne struggled to choose the right words. “That’s a very dangerous thing to do, Homat. You don’t know what you’re doing. The lightning spirits can be very unpredictable. You could hurt yourself.”
Homat laughed softly. “You clever humans. You come here from another world, with your wonderful magical devices, and you try to make us think none but you can make them work.” He shook the asynapt at them. “Well, I can make them work!”
“Where is Teacher Tyl?” Yulour asked uncertainly, looking past the Mai toward the hydrofoil.
“Be quiet, simpleton. The meditator is dead. I killed him, with this.” He shook the pistol again.
“But why?” Lyra cried as she looked toward the boat.
Homat’s voice was as icy as the air around them. “To make certain that I did know how to call upon the lightning spirits. Truly it is very easy. You just touch this trigger place here.” One finger eased toward the firing button.
Etienne negotiated a couple of awkward steps backward, leaning on the crutch.
“Don’t be frightened,” Homat told him. “I don’t think I have to kill you. Besides, I need your arms and your backs.”
“What for?”
Homat looked past him, his eyes afire. “To load the spirit boat with the gray metal, the sunk.”
“The iridium alloy? Your people value it too?”
“More than any other thing of this world. It will make me master over much of it.”
“We don’t care if you take some sunit back with you,” Lyra said. “Enough to make you rich, if you wish. We promised you a reward for helping us.”
