Key Out of Time

the U

ll leaned forward to watch Karara. And Ross's eyes, having adjusted to the gloom of the cavern, made out the outline of head and should

the ledge to whistle the dolphins' summons. Tino-rau's sleek head bobbed above water as he answered

r voice rippling in one of the liquid chants of her own people, the dolphin interjecting a not

and fear from the stranger as the Terran jerked him from his perch to the ledge. Ross had his opp

. The wide-set eyes were closed, and the mouth gaped open. Though he believed the Hawaikan unconscious, Ross still kept ho

egs, and feet, but left his lanky arms bare. A belt about his waist had loops for

" Karara said. "Where d

e wall crevice. "He was

e wide and r

those who had swum ashore from the wreck, he did not like to think what motive might hav

his knife. What are you go

such ruthlessness was more than he could stomach. And if he could learn anything from the stranger-gain some k

leg. See?" The

he defect clear; the right leg of the strang

sharply. This was no time fo

e would. Instead, she sat back cross-legged, an odd, withdrawn expression

a bridge," she observed,

-what do

feeling, not a true thought. But also it

ikan blinked up at them. Blank bewilderment was all Ross could read in the stranger's ex

the fluency of his first outburst took on a pleading not

g afraid, very much afraid. At first

t w

She did not rise to her feet, but crawled on hands and knees to the edge of the ledge. Both dolphin

"Ross, they can understand him! Ti

ge?" Ross found that fantastic, awesom

can pick up and read! They do that, you know, with a few of us, but n

t. His captor pulled the Hawaikan into a sitting position, but the native accepted that aid almost as if he were no

orted. "He has never known

d mental tie between Terran dolphin and Hawaikan did ex

ly knows fear, and they

agined. He put a question to Karara, who relayed it to the dolphins. In turn, they

the stranger. But at last the Hawaikan e

t accepted by his own kind. Perhaps," she added on her own, "it is because he is crippled. The sea is his home, as he expresses it, and he

s know, or thinks he knows, creatures who can appear a

desses-perfec

o, this is more concrete

d the cloaked figure who had driven the castle peopl

d jerk around. The Hawaikan looked from Karara to her

the Foanna? Surely you must well k

h its importance he could not guess, "tell him we come from where th

not have to depend upon a double translation! And could he

was tired by their roundabout communication, she must be doubly so. There was a droop to her

enough-f

stream of questions passed back and forth. And in that moment he was conscious of his hunger, just as h

bled with his mask, but Karara m

rings .

s unscrewed one, pulled out a bulb of fresh water. A s

ulb and a wafer into his hold. The Hawaikan watched the Terrans eat before he bit into the wafer, chewing

hich they were now marooned. Of course, his picture was based on facts they had learned from their captive. Perhaps he had purposely misled them or fogged

lifeblood of this island-water world. The Terrans had seen them in action last night and today. And if the captive's information was correct,

e gate; could there be a connection? However, there remained the Wreckers on the cliff. A

with, he thought. But there remained the Foanna. And, from their

r race-a very old and dying race of which few remained. How many, their enemies could not say, for the Foanna had no separate identities known to the outer world. They appeared, gave their orders, levied their demands, opposed or aided as they wished-always just one or two at a time-always so muffled in their cloaks

sed the remnants of some almost forgotten technical know-how, the heritage of a very old race. He had tried to learn something of the origin of the Foanna themselves, wondering if the robed ones could be from t

oke in upon Ross's thoughts as

g at very fragile straws; he had to. And the stranger had said that able-bodied men who

ket

r bulb, and one of his hands made a gesture they could not mi

ed his own chest

ad included the analyzer with the equipment by the gate. If Ross could find that ... why, then the major problem could be behind them. Swiftly he e

outh. "Ross." That was himself.

g hiss of the first name. "Karara

language, break it down into symbols already familiar to the Time Agents. But could it also be used as a translator with a totally alien tong

liquid syllables she had used in the dolphin song. Ross clicked the lever when she was finished, and watched the small screen. The symbols

sk from Karara. Then through the dolphin link Ross passed on definite instructions. Would it work

as there was no frightening response, with less speed and more confidence. There were sy

r the castle unseen to

hat re

had read those

ne of our kind m

me. His eyes, grave and measuring, stud

.. discovered by

djective Loketh chose to describe himse

ll he show

part of Loketh before he answered. Ross fou

re, then I