Captives of the Flame

d, "Now, your first dire

ough the great crack in the roof. The light across the floor was red. Jon felt that there were others with him, but he could not be sure. Before him, on a st

even more luminous red. Near the temple a few geometrical buildings cast maroon pinions of shadow over the russet expanse. Suddenly he realized

dull red. No, it was a segment of a huge red disk, a great dull sun lipping the horizon of the planet. Yet it w

behind him, and he turned to

the halls of an extinct city on Creton III. Twelve million years ago this planet housed a civilization higher than y

e sounded strange, distorted. As he bit t

u really wa

third

ou going to

world of white desert where the sky was deep blue and each object cast double shad

another universe, eternities ago. By way of this universe we can move from star to star without transversing any segment of time, unless we desire. Thus we have dwelt q

civilizations. It is younger than we are, and can only exist in one individual at a time, while our entity has three lobes, so to speak. This rival thinks nothing of completely changing the mind of its host, giving deadly information, even new powers. We are bound only to ride with you

hat was not Jon's. "What is on the

n. Beyond the barrier is a civilization which is controlled by the Lord of the Flames. He is onl

ey our

confront the individual who is bearing him, the three of you together. But you must all be within seei

ll we d

you when it becomes necessary. This is what you will do for us, and it will also remo

planet?" a

adiation barriers that lace your planet will keep you isolated from them for some time. When the Lord of the Flames is finished with one empire, he may wish to try a different method on a basically simi

mber all this

and the jade columns flickered. Hands of blue smoke caught him and flung him through a lightning fl

carpet, the rich wood-paneled walls, the glass-covered des

at am I supposed to do, again?

re until this war is over. They live a different life from any of the other people of this empire. They will give him something he'll be able to use. I told you I spent some time there wh

.. the Lord o

you have any

ord of the Flames, and assuming we can all three of us get to him at once-assuming all that, there's no problem. But we can't, can we? Look, I'll be going to

in

me closer to the Lord of the

ee now, Jon Koshar?

id, "Give me the address of

ind carried an alien mind that had saved him from death once already

explain it to me? It's not every day that I'm called on to dec

led him to stand in this spot and overhear his sister and he

came the other voice.

sked the King. "And

cial. "But the council thought it

why I made that little speech

peat, sir. She was locked in

o, the enemy has infiltrated

be sure. But what with the planes th

King. There were fo

, took out a great cape and hood, and wrapped it around him, pulling the hood

put on a pair of dark glasses and wandered up one street and down another. "Money for a poor blind woman," she said in a whiny voice. "Money f

, and then turned back. "Hey," he said to Rara.

explained, "while those who liv

watch out for blind beggars who weren

ed areas because of loss of sight. If you keep this up, I'll be obliged to show it to you." She tu

hed in a gray cloak and hood came around t

for the

om his cloak he held out a brocade j

softly. Then she coughe

d. "It's made pretty wel

you. Than

y a hairdresser who was returning to her home in Devil's Pot. She was missing the little finger of her left hand. Once the gray cloaked figure paused in an alley beneath a clothes line. Suddenly he flung up a ball of gray cloth, which caught on the line, unrolled, and became i

ng in the shadow. The hoodlum crept up behind him, then

something hit him in the jaw. He staggered back. Something else hit him in the stomach. As he stumbled forward now, beneath the street lamp, a tran

dlum's clothes, which were ragged, smelly, and painfully nondescript. The shoes, which were too small for h

ere no street signs. When he did find the next one,

it. A moment later a girl's voice called softly, "There. Just like that. Onl

of the building and

looking up at the roof. "All rig

ed away, and then suddenly unwound to standing position. The black-haired boy r

ter asked. "You didn't

Yeah, everything's in place." He looked

Let," Alte

e a childish voi

hin down, and roll quick. One, two, three!" There was the space of a breath, and then it fell, rolled, b

u kids,"

tur

even Alter's white-haired loveliness was definitely of the royal family. "Wha

e childr

roof, he wasn't sure where they might balk to. So he said, "Inci

the only one to r

e you're suppose

to his ragged Highness, "he got restless, and we started telling him about th

them back u

lter, "all we

said. "We'll go inside and talk to the man

lk to Geryn?

at's what h

ley. "Tell me," Jon said, "just

alks to himself all the time,

nn, Jon pulled his cape off and stepped into the light. A few people at the bar

head of him as they passed into the shadow of the hall. He only stepped up to them when Alter pus

e rough wooden desk when they entered. The giant was standing by the window. Geryn's gray eyes f

a," Jon said. "I've come to t

ething. Then shook his head. "Yes." Suddenly he stood up. "Well, go on. I've done my part, I tell y

e window. "I am to go wi

e the scarred giant's height s

. "I know how to get there. I can take you t

n the plans of the triple beings who inhabited them-they trapped him. Freedom. The word went in

orning,"

f here. Quick. Go on." They backed from t

wasn't Geryn coming instead of sending the giant? If Geryn came, then there'd be two people near the Lord of the Flames. But Geryn was old. Maybe the Duchess could bring him with her when she came. Mentally he smashed a f

window. It was very early. He had been up only a minute when there was a knock on his door. Then

m downstairs in fiv

he night before, and looked at the boy by the door. "I guess you're not used to thes

id Let. T

ething

are

ort of a friend of your brother. An acquaintance,

hy

be saf

o to the se

r a 'why'?"

he said, you can see the sun come up like a burning blister behind the water. He told me about the boats, too. I'd like to work on a

," Jon

ries about fishing. Do

ever tried telling any. Hey, c

aid. "Come on. I'm just

you a story, about a prison mine. Do you know an

," sa

started out in the hall. "They'd been there a long time, and they wanted to get

bby, sort of," interrupted

o?" as

," Le

d tell it." Jon wa

ld it

or when the boy finished. "See,"

tood very still. "You say the

rds brought them back and dumped t

up," J

" ask

ew breaths. "Who tol

"She told it to me. I

n said. "I'm the o

stopped. "You mean

treet now as Arkor came to the door o

," he said