The Time Traders

for the sudden and complete darkness which blotted out

of the ventilating system, of which he had not been actively aware until it had disappeared, was also missing. A trace of the sa

im to ward off contact with the wall. He was determined that someho

emptiness. Ross explored by touch. There was a door and now it was open. For a moment he hesitated, up

. All the frustrations of the past hours built up in him a raging desire to do someth

door was as deep and dark a pit as the room he left. To squeeze along one wa

clung to it thankfully. Another door ... Ross paused, trying to catch some faint sound, the slightest hint that he was not alone in this bli

pe across another surface. The space separating the two surfaces was wider than any doorway. Was i

er to catch the slightest whisper of the other noise. He discovered that lack of sight can confuse the ear. He coul

d him. Ross pushed back around the corner. It never occurred to him to challenge that crawler. There was an ele

ler was finding progress a great and exhausting effort. He fought the picture that persisted in his imagination-that of a wolf snuffling along the blac

xclamation from near to floor level. The same steady light that normally filled hall and room was bright again. Ross found himself

was lying several yards away. But the body was so wrapped in bandages and the head so t

nch or so. Before Ross could move, a man came running into the corridor from the far end. Murdock recogniz

he major's hands were on the bandaged body, lifting it, easing the head and shoulders back against his arm. "It's all right, Hardy. Yo

r fell onto the bandage-wreathed chest. "Back-safe-"

" the major

round again-" pr

. Everything's all right n

elgarries' arm; then it flexed a little a

af

reassurance. Now Kelgarries looked up at Ross as

to the end room.

lly that Ross had already reached the en

retcher, still holding one of the mittened hands in his. Ross hesitated, sure he was not supposed to follow, but not ready either to explore farther or ret

ss had been an abstract concept of danger, not connected with such concrete evidence as Hardy crawling through the dark. From

rdo

y of the other taciturn men he knew held positions of authority. The newcomer's brown skin was startling against the neutral shade of t

ides, studying Ross, as if the younger man was some problem he had been assigned t

baldly; he might have been saying "

erence. "All right-so you're Ashe!" He strove to make

e bait. He shrugged. "For the ti

" demanded Ross, con

ts us ..." he answered briefly and cons

est. While Murdock refused to ask questions of the major or any others on that s

place, anywa

k over his shoulder.

a fellow who'd been banged up as if he'd been in a concrete mixer, creeping

ur skin, eh? Well, we have our percentage of failures. They are as few as it's human

res at

ion Ret

e hall a buzzer g

en if you're not." Ashe walked away a

determined that he was going to continue to exist, in one piece and unharmed, Operation Retrograde or

the door of a room from which came the sound of v

mented in a take-it-or-leave-it

oming back from a serving hatch with well-filled trays. All of them were dressed in slacks, shirt, and moccasins like himself-the outfit seemed to be a sort

an men with thin brackets of long black mustache on either side of their mobile mouths. Yet he had caught a word or two of their conversation, and they spoke his own language

ds long enough to swing across their powerful shoulders, a fashion unlike any Ross had ever seen. Yet any su

from the table to halt Ashe as he came down the aisle wit

which he had been vigorously stirring his coff

face came to life with an expression of impish humor Ross would not have believed possible. "He'll end up wi

then glanced at Ross. "

ment. This is Murdock." The introduction was flat enough to daunt Ross. "Hodaki, Feng," he indicated t

ce and restless eyes, he was much younger than the others, younger and not so well controlled. He mi

uld be, and Ross's estimation of the younger man went up a

hear abou

ess of chewing and swallowing before he replied. "Naturally." His tone reduced whatever had

rt's accent, slight in the beginni

elly. "You aren't on

raining for. But that is not saying that such can not happen as well on my run, o

t way," observed Jansen. "Go cry on Millaird's shoulder if it hurts you that m

mation from this crowd. Maybe part of their training was this hush-hush business. He would wait and see, until he could

on saying 'Yes, sir,' 'No, s

ll know how and why we are picked for runs. Hardy had the deck stacked against him

to happen to you? Pretty games those tribesmen o

go make them to Millaird. And, little man"-he poked a massive forefinger into Kurt's chest-"wait until you make that first run of yours before you sound off so loudly. No one is sent out without every ounce of prepa

mured Ashe, but he nodded

beat each other, and so far all the contests a

ts at one side and a space for contestants at the other. What followed absorbed Ross as completely as the earlier scene of the wolf killing. This too was a fight, but not a

s of a triangle. Then Ashe looked from the tall blond

in chorus, and each man, looking

o be smart tonight, boys?" he in

nt the area around the players darkened and the floor became a stretch of

ed

lu

llo

he players. And upon those orders points of the

Ross recognized

aki's choice was on

unknown

from Jansen. "Is the unknown

e on the

idering that. Ross co

the tribe on the march. There was ingenious deployment, a battle, a retreat, a small victory here, to be followed by a bigger defeat there. The game might have gone on for hours. The men about him muttered, taking sides and arguing heatedly in voices low enough not to drown out the moves called by the players. Ross was thrilled when the red trad

announced, "but with plenty of sentries out." Red sparks showed briefly beyond that center core. "And

"someday one of you will make

ning will clobber us?" asked Jansen. "Th

ant

into a dark, tiled floor. "Any time you want a return

into time tomorrow. Take care of yourselves, you two. I don't w

d, felt a slight touch on his shoulder and glanced up. Kurt stood behind him, ap

st. Yes, he would see Kurt tonight, or whenever he could. He was going to learn w