Part 2

It was still early when guards came into the prison. They marched down the corridor in perfect discipline. Their weapons were well kept and ready.

"Empty the tank, first," commanded the officer.

The door of the large cell opened, but there was no chance to fight or escape. The prisoners filed out, formed ranks, then, surrounded by guards, marched to the prison courtyard.

Barlow and Laurine had managed to stay together and as they left the prison, her hand slipped into his. He thought it possible that she was afraid. But when he looked at her, her shoulders were back and her eyes bright. He pressed her hand.

"Look, Joel," she directed in a whisper when they halted in the courtyard. She nodded her head toward a richly dressed group near the outer entrance.

Joel Barlow looked and saw the well-publicized features of Director Dodson in the middle of the group. And close by the Director was Valnar.

But Valnar was heavily guarded. His clothes were torn and the plaque which he had always worn, was gone. And he had lost his confident bearing.

Their eyes met across the courtyard. Barlow saw Valnar smile, lift his hand in greeting, but he showed no acknowledgement. Valnar's face showed puzzlement.

The prisoners were lined against the wall. The guards withdrew to one side and stood at attention. Director Dodson motioned negligently with one hand, and Valnar and his guard crossed to the prisoners. Valnar was placed with the prisoners and the guard withdrew.

Barlow stared at Valnar. Then he looked down to meet Laurine's eyes.

"They're going to kill him too," he said. "He wasn't a spy."

She didn't answer.

Barlow turned again to Valnar, called to him, "I see you're still with us."

"To the end--maybe it won't be so bitter," Valnar grinned. "Get in there and fight when the time comes."

Barlow had no chance to ask for an explanation. One of the officers with Dodson stepped forward. He carried the projector Valnar had constructed, but it was changed and was mounted on a tripod. The officer trained it on the prisoners and pressed the switch.

Barlow felt a nervous shock that was almost electrical. He stiffened spasmodically. He suddenly felt a hundred times stronger than he had been, and felt a stinging contempt for the sheep around him. Rage welled into his mind like a hot acid burning away all but the desire to fight and kill.

As through a red haze he saw Valnar collapse limply to the ground. But the other prisoners were standing rigidly, faces twisted with hate. He leaped forward.

"Come on, you yellow-bellied cowards! What the hell does it matter if they have all the guns? Maybe we can get a couple of them anyway!"

A hoarse roar of approval came from the throats of those behind him. Laurine was at his side and they were running toward the group of rulers. And behind came the others of the Organization, a blood-hungry, hateful rabble. Unfearful of death and desiring only to tear the flesh of the Director's men from their bodies.

Then a volley from the massed guards struck into them. Barlow felt something strike him on the side. He staggered and almost fell as a burning thread of agony lanced through his body. But the rage upheld him, made him fight on.

Others passed him. Laurine ran ahead. He fell to the ground, then fought his way to his hands and knees and crawled toward Dodson and his subordinates. He saw Laurine leap at the men at the projector. They went to the ground, fighting and kicking in utter disregard of all rules.

The bullets of the guards were dropping men and women all around him. Many struggled up to fight their way onward, but many stayed down.

Barlow reached the projector, grasped the tripod to lift himself up. He saw dimly that Dodson and his officers were clamoring at the gate to be freed from the bloody courtyard, but the portals had been closed to retain the prisoners and now did as well for the Director.

Weakly, Barlow turned the projector around. He had to lean over it to stay up, but he threw its beam over those at the gate. They went down like dead men, slow and easily. Then the guards, then....

The rage was leaving him. Blackness was closing in around his mind. He sagged over the projector, and dragged it to the ground with him.

* * * * *

The blackness around his mind first parted to allow a tiny pricking of pain to dart into his mind. Then, as though the neural dams had broken, agony came. He twisted to escape it, and from far away a voice spoke soothingly.

The agony faded slowly and he became conscious of light. He saw a white-garbed figure near him. The face was pretty and feminine, and in the woman's hand was a hypodermic syringe. His mind cleared slowly and he saw more clearly. He was in a hospital.

He turned and saw Laurine and Valnar standing at the other side of the bed. Laurine's hand was bandaged and her face scratched but otherwise she seemed uninjured. She smiled at him.

"That was close," said Valnar and Barlow looked at him. The strange man had entirely recovered his good humor and confidence. Barlow saw that he was again wearing the plaque.

"Did we all go crazy?" Barlow asked.

"Just a bit more than usual," Valnar grinned. "I got to thinking about what you told me about the Unamenables, and came to the conclusion that the Mental Ray only controlled the average person. Those who varied from the norm, either above or below, were affected differently. To them it was an irritant. Haven't you ever thought it odd that all the Unamenables fought Dodson?

"So when we were captured because the warden reported our visit, I agreed to help Dodson. He had scientists, anyway. They sure blanked the projector that night. Dodson wanted me to make the projector deadly. I did, then Dodson was quite amused when I suggested that he try it out on you Unamenables. But instead of killing you, it aroused you to intense activity. The only thing that went wrong was that Dodson crossed me, and the ray was too strong for me to compensate. I was laid out cold."

"We've won, Joel," Laurine interrupted. "Dodson is dead. And we've released all the members from the prisons, and destroyed the transmitters."

"Yeah," agreed Valnar. "My job here is done, so I'll be getting along. I want to kill Dodson again, this time personally."

Barlow forced Laurine to sit on the edge of the bed. Then held her hand to make sure that she stayed there, and faced Valnar.

"Why don't you stay here?" he asked.

Valnar shook his head. "I got to see about getting home," he said, starting to go. "So long."

"Wait!" called Barlow. "Where are you going this time?" he asked when Valnar halted. "All the way back to the beginning?"

"I've already been there," said Valnar. "That was my first trip. I had a car then, but the elemental chaos ruined it and I was barely able to get away in time."

A sudden thought struck Barlow. He grinned at Valnar.

Valnar frowned and demanded, "Well?"

"Remember your simile of time to a growing tree with a lot of branches?"

Valnar nodded and waited.

"And remember how you said that you were creating new branches every time you stopped?"

"Uh-huh," Valnar grunted impatiently.

"Well, I'll bet you haven't been sliding up and down the branches of that tree at all. You've been leaping from one to another like a monkey. And you weren't in your own past before you started, so you can't be now. You aren't in your own time at all. When you leaped back to elemental chaos, you planted this tree. You're climbing around the wrong tree, fella."

Valnar started, then stared. "I guess I'll stay here for a while after all," he muttered as he turned and went out.

Laurine was watching Barlow. "You were trying to sell him something then," she accused.

"Sure," he admitted easily. "Think of the world-limb we can build if he stays with us." He laughed and drew her face down to his.